


Trackers vs Guns

by Quinis



Series: Twins [4]
Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, One Shot Collection, Responses to Prompts, Spies & Secret Agents, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-03 06:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 43,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1734857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinis/pseuds/Quinis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On one hand: you have a CI. On the other: you have an Agent. Once again, another series of one-shots revolving around the oldest con in the book.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This White Collar/Chuck crossover features Bryce and Neal as twins and this collection of stories comes third (update-wise). The first collection is 'Spies vs Cons' and the second is 'CIs vs Agents'.
> 
> Copied from the intro to 'Spies vs Cons'  
> What would happen if Neal had a twin? There have been times when people have been found innocent of a crime because they couldn't prove which twin did it. As for how Bryce is alive, lets say Orion saved him (where was Orion while his son was fighting the Ring? Seriously?)
> 
> Basically, I'm going to write White Collar/Chuck crossovers featuring twins Neal and Bryce (Neal is older). Most will be one-shots which can stand alone (I hope). They will vary in length. Additional stories will be added at random. Feel free to post prompts of what you want to see; no guarantees though.
> 
> Just a bit of background info: unless otherwise stated for the prompt, Neal and Bryce both grew up in Witsec as Danny Brooks and Bryce Brooks. When they were fourteen, their mother remarried; a nice man with the last name 'Larkin'. The three Brooks family members took the last name 'Larkin', henceforth known as Danny/Neal Larkin and Bryce Larkin. Later, when Neal learned the the truth about his birth father (he's a murderer and is still alive) he left and became Neal Caffrey. Bryce stayed and went to Stanford as Bryce Larkin.
> 
> From Guest on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _Do you think you could do an opposite version of this, the various tentative, deeply personal moments when Neal or Bryce do tell the others in a moment of sharing? Like, they're not forced to reveal the truth because the other is hurt or something, but they tell the people in their lives because they want to; because they love them/trust them?_
> 
> Notes: The thief Chuck talks about is loosely based on Kaitou Kid who is the main character in the Magic Kaito manga and turns up in Detective Conan (both works by Aoyama Gosho)

****

 

**FnF - Family and Friends**

* * *

Bryce told Chuck after only a few months. Chuck was the kind of guy who people instantly trusted bit it still took Bryce a few months to realise that it wasn't a cover, it was just Chuck. He was someone trustworthy.

"Hey, want to meet my brother?" he asked Chuck one evening when he knew Neal was nearby.

"I didn't know you had a brother," Chuck commented in surprise.

"That's because I never mentioned him," Bryce said, thinking, 'and with good reason.' He didn't think Neal was a good match for Chuck, friendship-wise, as Neal's friends were a little less law-abiding and not at all trustworthy.

Bryce didn't like the path his brother was travelling and thought it was a waste of Neal's skills. But, he figured that Chuck should know a little more about him. Bryce knew a lot about Chuck's family and friends but hadn't shared much himself.

Chuck was bouncing with interest.

"When do I get to meet him?" Chuck asked.

"Whenever you want," Bryce responded and he wasn't surprised when Chuck suggested as soon as possible.

* * *

Neal agreed to meet them at a cafe on campus and was already there when they arrived. Bryce knew they turned a few heads when he and Chuck walked in and sat down across from someone who looked a lot like him.

"So, you're Neal, right?" Chuck glanced between them and babbled, "you didn't switch on me, did you? I haven't been talking to Neal all day or something?"

Neal burst out laughing and Chuck's face went red as he wondered if he said the wrong thing.

"No," Bryce said to Chuck while glaring at his twin.

"Aw, come on, Bryce, you know that's a great idea."

"It is?" Chuck cheered up and Bryce felt it prudent to pull his brother away from the table.

"Don't," he said, "no talks about cons, tricks or schemes. Not around Chuck."

"Really?" Neal questioned.

"He's a good person, Neal. He doesn't need to know about cons and tricks and schemes."

"Then, how's he supposed to recognise them if I use them on him?" Neal questioned, "I'm sorry but that seems like a good way to be a sucker."

Bryce had a number of responses to that, things he had said before which he knew had no impact on Neal's behaviour.

"Hey, are we going to eat?" Chuck questioned innocently as he came up with a menu in his hands.

"Sure," Bryce responded with a smile.

"That's a con smile," Neal whispered conspiratorially as he past him walking back to the seats. Bryce sighed because, it was. He didn't like smiling like that or using his skills in conning. They would lead him nowhere good; unless he decided to be an officer or something which he didn't think he was suited for.

"So, Neal, do you like Zork as well?" Chuck asked as soon as Neal sat down.

"Zork?"

"The computer game I used to play," Bryce explained with less enthusiasm than he had when he first spoke to Chuck about it. Chances were that Neal didn't even know what computer games he played.

"Right, where you'd stare at text on a screen for hours for no reason," Neal commented towards Bryce.

"Better than reading numerous books about police work."

"Police?" Chuck questioned, asking Neal, "do you want to be a police officer?"

"No," Neal denied quickly and stubbornly. Chuck was surprised at the response.

"Then why read books about police work?" he questioned, "unless you wanted to mess with the police?"

"Mess with the police?" Neal questioned.

"Yeah. I read this story once which had a criminal who would send calling cards to the police before stealing things. He was also friends with the head officer's daughter. One time, he even dressed up as her to throw him off so that he could escape."

"Really?" Chuck had Neal's interest.

"Yeah. He wooed a princess with his magic tricks so that he could steal from her. She knew this and actually let him because she was amazed and grateful for his company."

Bryce really wanted to stop this kind of talk as he had a feeling Neal would take all this to heart but, his best friend and his brother were getting along which was more than he could have hoped for.

"Hmm... if he had a princess, why steal?" Neal questioned and Bryce found himself nodding in agreement, wanting to hear more.

* * *

It was after Neal got drugged while investigating 'Hearts wide Open' that he made a phone call to ask Bryce for permission to tell his handler about his twin brother. What he had told Peter was true, he did trust the agent. However, this terrified him, worried him and made him feel like he was betraying Kate. Choosing this life tethered to the feds and New York over her.

Bryce talked him down from his frantic ranting and said that it was okay for him to tell Peter about him. That the agent was a good guy and probably wouldn't use the knowledge to hurt him. If he did... Bryce left the threat hanging. While Neal wasn't a violent man, he knew different methods of torture as well as the far more effective ways of systematically destroying someone's life without laying a hand on them. Bryce didn't need to finish the sentence for Neal to know all the different ways he could destroy Peter Burke.

Even so, it wasn't until Peter told him about meeting Kate that Neal finally told him. He asked Elizabeth if he could come to dinner, brought wine to go with the fish she was cooking and sat down at the dinner table with a smile on his face and a photo in his hand.

"What do you have there?" Peter asked, his sharp eyes not missing a thing.

Neal placed the photo on the table and pushed it across to Peter. Elizabeth made an interested noise and asked if she could look as well. Neal nodded as she placed the dinner plates down on the table and then leant over Peter's shoulder to see.

The photo was one to two young dark haired and blue eyed boys. One was wearing a fireman's hat and the other a police hat. They were both smiling the same smile on the same face.

"That's me," Neal said, pointing to the boy in the police hat. "And that's Bryce."

He moved his finger so that he was pointing to the boy in the fireman's hat.

Peter's jaw dropped and Neal was certain he heard a squeak. In comparison, Elizabeth looked over the moon.

"Twins?" she questioned him excitedly. Neal nodded.

"Twins?" Peter echoed in a horrified tone. Neal nodded again.

"His name is Bryce and yes, we're twins." He paused and then added, "I'm surprised that you didn't already know since there was that whole the FBI investigation into me and all." Really, he wasn't surprised that Peter didn't know about Bryce. The CIA probably shielded him.

But, the jab found it's mark and Peter shot him a glare.

"Honey," Elizabeth said in warning, "it's nice that Neal is sharing something of his past with us, isn't it?"

"I guess," Peter grumbled, "but know I have to worry about another one."

"Bryce is an upstanding citizen," Neal emphasised, "and, at the very least, not your problem. I think he's currently somewhere in the west coast."

"Give me a heads up if he ever comes to New York," Peter said, placing the photo back on the table. He didn't take his hand off it though. "I'd like to meet him."


	2. NGTB - Night of the Bachelors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on fanfiction.net:  
>  _I would be very very happy if you did one where maybe Bryce is getting married and he wants Neal to be the best man only Peter doesn't know about Bryce so they have to plan the whole wedding and bachelor's party within Neal's radius. Plus bonus if Neal shows up to the FBI after the bachelor's party insanely drunk. If you can't do it I understand but I really like your stories. Please never stop writing them. :)_

**Night of the Bachelors** **_(and one married man)_ **

* * *

When Bryce told him that he was getting married, Neal wondered where he found the time. Last he knew, Bryce was trying to win Sarah back.

"It's okay, we meet on a mission," Bryce assured him, "and she already knows all about you so, would you be the best man?"

"Not really reassuring," Neal responded, glaring into the phone. He didn't want to think about how much information a CIA agent could pull up on him. He was one of the world's greatest conmen, not really someone a CIA agent would get along with. "I thought you would give best man to Chuck?"

"Well, sort of. She's from New York and wants the wedding there so we thought you would-"

"Do all the work?" Neal supplied.

"Sort of. Since you have a radius, I thought Chuck would help you. He's one of the groomsmen anyway."

"You would put a CIA agent at the beck and call of a criminal?" Neal questioned, wondering if this was some kind of delusion. The FBI would have a field day with the way Bryce treated him.

"It's Chuck," Bryce said matter-of-factly, "and it's you. I trust you not to mess this up."

* * *

Bryce knew just what buttons to press and Neal agreed before he could think about it. It meant a lot more time on the phone and more conversations with his brother in a few weeks than he had in years. It meant running around New York, as much as he could within his radius, and trying to find places to hold the wedding, reception and the bachelor party.

As well as keeping this from Peter and the FBI. The FBI would not take kindly to a CIA spy wedding in New York and Peter would probably be upset the Neal never told him about his twin brother.

Neal had no idea how to bring up Bryce's existence with the agent so, he did what Neal does best and, he kept it a secret.

* * *

Neal stood in the middle of his apartment and dinged his spoon against his wine glass. The table which was usually there was pushed away to divide between the part of the apartment where his bed was and the rest. The table was covered in a black cloth and had numerous catered goodies splayed out over it.

Chuck held up a microphone and walked to stand next to Neal.

"Alright, spies and gents," Neal coughed and Chuck added, "and criminal-turned-CI. I hope you're enjoying the wine! For those of you who need to drive tonight, there's a lovely non-alcoholic punch provided by the wonderful lady who owns this home and is letting us party here in Neal's apartment."

As those gathered clapped, Neal took the microphone from Chuck in what looked like a snatch but really wasn't.

"Let's hear it for Bryce who, in less than a week, is going to tie the knot! He'll be a bachelor no more! Which is probably a good thing considering how he wouldn't let me invite models or exotic dancers to this."

There was a round of 'boos' while Bryce shrugged and Casey cocked a gun.

"Not while my daughter's fiancée is here," he grumbled, motioning towards Morgan who was hoarding food from the table with a plate.

"What?" Morgan questioned when everyone's gaze fell on him.

Chuck took the microphone back from Neal.

"Yeah, Neal. My wife would probably kill me," he commented, "and she's a government trained assassin so I'm not taking the risk."

Neal muttered something that looked like 'scaredy-cat'.

"If I recall, you didn't even want to suggest models or exotic dancers to her," Chuck pointed out.

"Right, give that back," Neal said, slightly offended.

"No way!" Chuck responded, jumping out of Neal's range as he tried to grab the microphone. "We're going to do karaoke!"

Bryce jumped up and took the microphone from Chuck's hands. They both froze.

"Karaoke?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Chuck's suggestion."

"I wanna hear you sing."

"Oh! The twins should do a duet!" Morgan suggested.

* * *

Peter looked up as Neal walked into work around an hour and a half later than usual. He was stumbling around a bit and knocked things off his desk and sat down without even picking it up.

Strange behaviour for his usually punctual, coordinated and neat CI. Peter put the file he was working on away and walked out to meet with Neal.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

Neal glanced up and blinked slowly. Then a wide grin appeared on his face.

"P'ter!" he slurred in a familiar cheery tone. Either Neal was drugged or drunk. And, judging by the sour and sickly sweet scent wafting on his breath, it was probably the later.

"Neal, are you drunk?" he questioned in an incredulous manner. Because Neal was responsible enough to not drink early enough to turn up drunk to work. Hungover maybe, rarely, but Neal was good at hiding it and didn't let it interfere with his work.

"Iz not my faults," Neal said, waggling a finger at him. "I told 'em I could not drink because I works 9 to 5 nowz but he spiked the drink!"

"Spiked the drink?" Peter questioned, concerned, "who?"

Neal ignored him and kept 'explaining'.

"Because iz 9 to 5 time I got a taxi here when-" he paused for a moment to think. "When they stops looking at me. Huh. I am insanelys drunk. Tell Peter I'm goin' home."

Peter sighed and rubbed his forehead. Neal was going home alright because, he was going to take him.

"Jones, take my calls and get Diana to start on the paperwork for the Hansen case, I'm taking Neal home."

"Sure. Is he okay?"

Peter shot him a look that said he wasn't sure but if Neal was faking then he would wish he wasn't when Peter was done with him.

* * *

Peter drove Neal home. Neal fell asleep in the seat not even a third of the way there. He pulled up in front of June's and tried to shake Neal awake.

Neal stirred.

"Go away, Bryce," he mumbled.

"Neal," Peter said and Neal jolted awake, apparently forgetting that he he been with Peter. When Neal calmed down from his post-wake-up shock, Peter asked, "who's Bryce?"

Neal just groaned and opened the car door. He swayed as he stood up.

"Thanks for driving me home," he said through the car window, "I'm going to go sleep this off."

"I'm taking you up to your apartment," Peter announced as he climbed out of his car and locked it. He could just imagine the state Neal would be in if he slipped down the stairs and it scared him. Neal wobbled, solidifying his decision. There was no way he was going to leave Neal to walk up all those steps alone.

It didn't mean he didn't scold Neal as he did so. Neal was evasive as ever about how he had ended up so drunk so early in the morning and didn't mention the 'he' who 'spiked the drink' again.

Peter was surprised to find Neal's apartment door unlocked and open. Moments before he reached it, a tall brunette with curly hair appeared.

"Found him!" he called inside the apartment, moving out to help Neal inside.

"Who are you?" Peter asked, glaring suspiciously at the strange man.

"Chuck, Chuck Bartowski." Chuck greeted him happily and innocently so Peter believed that was his real name.

"Who's out there, Chuck?" another voice commented and Peter's jaw dropped as another Neal stepped into the doorway. "Agent Burke?"

"Bryce!" Neal greeted the other Neal, "I brought him to meet you!"

"Uh, no. I invited myself when you turned up at the office completely wasted," Peter corrected.

"Yeah," Chuck said sadly, "no one noticed when Morgan spiked the punch. Rest assured, he's being suitably punished."

Peter raised an eyebrow. He didn't know who this 'Morgan' was but, Chuck had just answered some of his questions.

"'Suitably punished'?"

"He's tasked with cleaning up," Bryce explained, "alone."

"Spoilsports. Can't take a joke," a small and bearded man commented as he climbed out from under the table. Peter was startled enough to pull his gun and found another gun pulled on him.

"Casey!" Bryce and Chuck scolded in unison, "put it away!"

Casey sneered at them before doing so and moved to drag Morgan up onto his feet. Peter took a moment to glance around and noted all the decorations and the setup which looked like a party.

"What happened here?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry about the mess," Chuck said, rubbing his neck. "But, we really couldn't find anywhere in Neal's radius which was appropriate for Bryce's bachelor night."

"Not when you nerds want to play games all night, no," Casey snorted.

"How much have you figured out?" Bryce asked Peter when Peter looked to him for answers. When Peter didn't respond, he added, "I'll fill in any points you missed, but I'd like to know what you already know."

"Your name's Bryce," Peter said, "that's Chuck, Casey and Morgan." He pointed at them as he said their names. "You're probably Neal's twin but, if not, related to him in some way. Chuck, Casey and Morgan are your friends and probably not Neal's because I've never heard of them but, then again, I've never heard of you. And you had a bachelor night here where Neal was drinking the punch which Morgan spiked and he must have had a lot of it in order to turn up to work drunk this morning."

"I challenged him to a drinking race," Morgan said, "who could drink a bottle of punch the fastest."

"Which was a ruse to get Neal drunk," Bryce said with disdain, glaring at Morgan. Then he turned back to Peter. "You've got most of it. I'm Neal's younger twin, my name is Bryce, I'm getting married soon and Neal is my best man." Bryce offered his hand for Peter to shake.

"Nice to meet you," Peter said, taking the offered hand.


	3. CTCH - To Catch a Thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest:  
>  _Can you do one where Peter comes into Neal's apartment and finds Neal, Bryce, and Chuck (who knows about both twins) playing a game of drunken Mario cart? And then they invite Peter to join them and get him really drunk as well, then the next day there is no sign of either CIA agent and Peter writes them both off as a drunken hallucination. Thanks, and I love your stories._

**To Catch a Thief**

* * *

Peter groaned as he woke up. His mouth felt fuzzy and tasted dry and sour, his head pounded and his back hurt from sleeping on the hard couch.

Neal's hard couch. Peter shot up and then froze as the room began to spin.

"You okay?" Neal said, kneeling in front of him with a glass of water in his hand and a tablet in the other. Both Peter took gratefully. It didn't escape his notice that Neal was wearing sunglasses indoors and looked less impeccable than normal.

* * *

_Neal opened the door wearing a loose blue shirt and jeans. His hair was mussed and there was a beer in one hand._

_"Peter?" he questioned in surprise. When he noticed Peter's gaze on the beer, he impulsively hid it behind his back. "What are you doing here?"_

_Peter muttered something about the case they were working on before stepping inside. There was some kind of strange music sounding through the apartment and he could hear whispers._

_"None shall pass!" a tall, curly-haired brunette proclaimed, shoving a beer in his face. "Not until they have drained the sweet nectar from this chalice!"_

_Peter blinked and wondered just how drunk this guy was. And then he wondered who he was and what crimes he possibly committed to be close enough to Neal in order to be granted access to Neal's apartment._

_"Hear, hear!" another voice, one so much like Neal's, joined in. Another Neal, this one wearing a white shirt with a loose tie and black slacks, stood up before the couch and held his beer high._

_The other Neal was still standing a little behind Peter's side._

_"You're such geeks," he commented good-naturedly. Then he said it again, slowly sounding it out, "geeks."_

_"Nerds!" the brunette corrected proudly. Then he remembered Peter and told him to drink the beer._

_"You'll want to drink the beer," Neal informed Peter, raising his own in toast. Peter did so, because he wanted to know what was going on here._

* * *

He didn't remember much after that. How much had he drunk? There were nine bottles sitting on the table and he had a feeling they were only his.

* * *

_Peter glared at the white rectangle attached to the new high-definition flat-screen television. It was one of those game consoles but he wasn't certain which one._

_"Come on, sit down, play a game!" Neal's twin said to him. The brunette held out a white remote._

_"You might actually have a chance of catching Neal."_

* * *

_"Where's the fast-forward button on this?" he recalled asking, an unknown amount of time later._

* * *

There was no sign of the television or the rectangle. The strange remotes were gone too.

"Something wrong?" Neal asked.

"I seem to recall coloured racing carts," Peter mumbled in a confused manner, "what's a blue shell?"

Neal's eyes widened and he shrugged.

"I'd have to know the context but, I think it's a thing in a video game thing Mozzie was talking about. Something about 'corporate America' and how it's eroding our originality."

"An odd thing to say to a forger," Peter commented dryly, nursing his water and his headache. "How much did I drink?"

"A lot. I tried to stop you," Neal said in a wince.

* * *

_"Come ons, Peter!" Neal slurred, almost crawling over his twin to reach the bottle in Peter's hand. "I want!"_

_"You can't take!" Peter responded, holding the bottle out of reach. He slapped Neal's outreached hand. "Bad thief!"_

_"Did you see that Bryce?" Neal whined, "he hit me!"_

_"The horror," Neal's twin responded in dull drone. For some reason the brunette found this hilarious and burst out laughing._

_"Ahhh! Blue shell!" Neal cried out, turning his focus back to the game._

* * *

Peter shook the strange recollections from his head and winced as pain shot through it. The pain did the trick.

"I had a really strange dream," he commented to Neal.

"You and me both," Neal responded, handing him a pair of sunglasses which Peter recognised at his missing pair. He shot Neal a glare, well worth the pain moving his eyebrows caused.

The rectangle box was gone and there was no sign of the television, his empty beer bottles were on the table, next to a bottle of wine which Neal probably drained with him the previous night. Yeah, they probably just sat at the table and talked about the case.

"I dreamed there were two of you and that you had a friend who wasn't a thief but ran a Buy More."

Neal pointed to June's old television which was in the room when he moved it. There was an ad for the Buy More playing on it.

"I get it, Neal," Peter said in a drawn out grumble, "it was a dream."


	4. CTCH2 - Hints

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From D. Rose on  
>  _"Heavy Sigh" You know you are going to have to do this story from Bryce's and Chuck's pov now, right?_
> 
> _Hint, hint_

**CTCH2 - Hints**

* * *

Chuck gave a happy sigh as the car hit the highway and the traffic began to thin. They were driving out of New York City and heading towards an 'abandoned' air strip where there was a plane waiting to take them back to California. There was a Nintendo Wii sitting in the backseat and, somewhere, a truck with a large television sitting in the back.

"Dude, did we really get drunk with an FBI agent?" Bryce questioned, stirring in the seat next to him.

"Good morning, Bryce," Chuck greeted in a pleasant tone which he knew would annoy the other agent.

"Seriously Chuck. Drunk, FBI."

"Yes. Yes, we did. And Peter Burke is a fun guy. He beat Neal in a few rounds and ran him off the course in Rainbow Road."

Bryce groaned. "Neal's going to make our lives miserable. He didn't want the FBI to know about me."

"Us. And don't worry. Peter's drunk and out cold and I called in a crew to clean up the place. It'll be like we were never there."

Bryce blinked as this information settled in his brain and called up memories from the previous night. He had invited Neal's nemesis to play a game with them. Evidence erased or not, Neal would probably still make his life miserable.

He placed his head in his hands and willed the world to stop moving.

"This was the worst idea ever," he grumbled. They had just finished a mission in New York when Chuck mentioned that he knew where Neal was currently living. Bryce was surprised but, apparently Chuck had set up an alert regarding his brother. It hadn't activated until he had been arrested for stealing a diamond, an event Neal assured them he had been framed for and cleared of. But, that alert allowed Chuck to track the conman turned consultant down to his current residence which they invaded the previous evening.

"I thought it was fun," Chuck responded with a goofy smile on his face. Bryce thought he was entirely too happy for someone who should be suffering from a pounding hangover. But, that was Chuck; he didn't get hungover like everyone else.

Bryce's phone chose that moment to remind him of how easy it was to make his suffering worse; it rang out a shrill tune.

"What?" he grumbled into the device.

"Wow, someone's touchy." It was Neal, sounding just as touchy. Finally, someone suffering properly. "I just wanted to say that it was nice to see you and, whatever Chuck pulled off here, worked. Peter thinks it was a dream."

"Yay." Bryce didn't feel happy about that. He just wanted to curl up and go back to sleep.

"It was nice to see you too, Neal!" Chuck called out happily and both twins winced.

Neal commented, "he's far too happy," and Bryce agreed with him.


	5. DWH2 – What Comes of Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Brycelarkin32 on AO3:  
>  _You should make where bryce cuts himself because of this. Ellie found him doing. She then goes to yell at chuck and casey later sarah._
> 
> Notes: Instead of cutting himself, Bryce takes on more and more dangerous missions, coming back with more wounds and going back out before he's healed.
> 
> Sort-of sequel to DWH - Don't Want to Hear it; chapter 18 of CIs vs Agents.

**DWH2 – What Comes of Despair**

* * *

_"Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah demanded to know. He stood there in shock, his hand reflexively moving to cover his cheek. "Well?"_

_"I didn't think it was important," he responded. They were CIA and there was no room for family._

_"I told you about my father, about how I grew up!" she reminded him. She had because Bryce asked her where she acquired her skills. And now she realised how he knew those skills weren't taught by the CIA._

_"Look, I-"_

_"DON'T! You withheld important information which could have jeopardised a mission! A conman, Bryce! He would have taken the first chance he got to fleece us!"_

_"Neal wouldn't-"_

_"You don't know that!" She stopped, pulled back and took a deep breath._

* * *

_"Bryce, maybe you should leave," Chuck suggested, self-loathing evidence in his voice as he hadn't wanted it to come to this. He and Bryce were sitting in the hidden spy base under the Buy More and Chuck had slipped and called him 'Neal' as they looked over their latest target._

_There was little he could say in response to that. Little he should say but, Bryce couldn't help asking why._

_"I can't do this, I can't work with you. I keep messing up and I can't stop wondering what else you're hiding from us."_

_"I'm not hiding anything!" he lied. He thought he was convincing but, Chuck gave him that hurt look again. This time it didn't vanish, it stayed there. Hurt and accusing._

* * *

Eleanor, Ellie, Woodcomb knew that look on her husband's face. It was one of morbid interest he got whenever a partially troublesome patient appeared. She knew that he liked to take it upon himself to solve every trouble his patients had to the best of his ability.

"What is it?" she asked, falling into step beside him as he walked down the hall.

He held up a file with no name printed on the side.

"He's back," Devon Woodcomb said. He was known to most of Ellie's friends as 'Captain Awesome' as Chuck had coined the nickname back when they first met and it had stuck.

"Who's back?"

"Sarah's ex."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. She hadn't met the guy, only spotted him a few times back when he had been stalking her.

"What do you mean back?" she said, hearing the annoyance in her voice. Seriously, Chuck and Sarah were married! There was no reason for this guy to hang around!

"He's been coming in with increasing frequency," her husband commented in a collected and informed tone, "at first it was about seeing whether he needed a few stitches or had a concussion or stuff like that about once a week; I think he was a little lonely but he wouldn't admit it. Now, it's happening every few days, sometimes every day and last week he got shot in the stomach! I just don't understand why; he won't talk to me about it. He just says that it's part of his job. But, I don't understand what kind of job would cause so many injuries."

Ellie softened at the worry in her husband's voice and before she knew it, she had taken the file from his hands.

"Let me have a go," she said with determination, "I'll get the cause from him." And she certainly planned to. First, Sarah and now her husband, she didn't understand what this guy wanted from them. But, she didn't like it.

And then she read the file and her blood went cold. Injury after injury, weak excuses for each, escalating in frequency and damage, it was almost as if;

She dismissed that thought to the back of her mind. It would do no good to go in with pre-conceived notions.

When she entered the examination room, Bryce Larkin looked up at her; the guy who got her brother kicked out of Stanford and who Chuck later told her was really a spy. She glanced at the records and then back to him.

"So, you used to date Sarah?" she questioned.

He nodded and she found herself blinking. It almost seemed like he was a ghost, ready to vanish at any moment.

"That's ironic, isn't it?" she commented, trying again to get a response. Bryce stole Chuck's girlfriend back at Stanford and later Chuck steals Bryce's girlfriend.

Bryce nodded again.

"Isn't it?" he commented in a dull tone. He stood up and began to take his shirt off. "Let's get this over with."

Ellie's eyes narrowed and then widened in surprise as she spotted the still-healing scars and bandages wrapped around his body.

This was not the same person Chuck told her about. She even doubted that it was the same person Devon had met the first time.

"Tell me about your job," she said as she helped him unwrap the bandage.

"There's nothing to tell."

"I know you're not really an accountant."

"Then it's classified."

"I happen to have a high clearance level."

"I'm a spy! Happy?" he bit back, complete with glare. She stepped back and placed her hands on her hips.

"Today, I am your doctor. You do not take that tone with me." She picked up his records and passed them to him. "What do you see?"

He raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.

"I see someone who's purposely hurting himself," she said, taking the direct route. It was the only way to deal with spies. "Am I wrong?"

"Yes," he responded, placing the file on the table. "I just get injured in the line of duty. You know it's a dangerous job."

"This isn't a result of the job," she responded. Chuck never got this injured and neither did Sarah or Casey or Morgan and Bryce was as good as them. "This is the result of you being careless. Subconsciously punishing yourself."

"I thought you were a doctor, not a psychologist," he responded, breaking out a smile. She could see that he was trying to convince her that he was okay.

Tricks like that didn't work on her. Not when she had Chuck for a little brother.

"Why would I punish myself?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"The same reason why Chuck hasn't mentioned you since you told them that you had a twin." His eyes widened. Obviously, he hadn't expected her to know about that.

"Look, I'm just taking more missions, that's all," he explained, adding in a grumble under his breath, "besides, Chuck told me to leave."

Ellie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"He didn't mean it. The same way you didn't mean it when you kicked him out of Stanford." She noticed the way he flinched at that statement, like he expected her to attack him. "I should thank you for that, I guess. Chuck told me you did it to keep him out of the CIA."

"I still sent him the Intersect," Bryce said and it confirmed it for her. He was trying to get her to verbally or physically attack her.

He was trying to punish himself.

"Well, it wasn't like you had much of a choice." There was a silent pause while she waited for him to say something. Devon was right, this needed fixing. "Come to dinner tonight."

Bryce jolted like he had been shocked and stared at her in horror and surprise.

"I mean it. Come to dinner. I won't take 'no' for an answer."

"But, Chuck-"

"I will deal with Chuck." And Sarah. "Come to dinner. Don't make me sic my awesome husband on you."

That got a smile out of him, weak though it was. It was a real smile though and she was glad to see it.

* * *

Devon knew better than to get in the way of his wife when she was like this. She was like a force of nature and she wouldn't stop until she achieved whatever goal she was after.

This one involved Chuck and, even with super government secrets and skills, Devon would not want to be in his shoes. He did not pity the poor man; he was glad it wasn't him.

"Chuck!" Ellie bellowed as she stormed into the couple's home with Devon on her heels. "Get out here little brother, we need to talk!"

"Ellie?" Chuck was confused. "What's going on?"

"We need to have a talk about how you treat your friends," she said, pointing to the couch chair in front of her which Chuck reluctantly sat in. "Where's Sarah?"

"This involves me too?" Sarah questioned, popping out from behind the kitchen counter. Devon was surprised but it didn't seem to faze Ellie, who nodded and told her to sit.

"Read this," she said, tossing them a file. They shared a confused look before looking over the contents.

"These are confidential patient records," Sarah pointed out, "should you be sharing them with us?"

"I have the patient's permission," Ellie responded in a cold tone, "this patient has been coming in with increasing frequency and increasing severity of injuries. I stitched up a knife wound today! He wouldn't go into surgery and just insisted on getting out as soon as he could. He signed out against medical advice, something he has done the past two times."

"Okay," Chuck said slowly, "what does this have to do with us?"

"The patient is Bryce Larkin and I believe the way you two have been acting towards him is the main cause of his recklessness, overworking and the records you see before you."

Chuck looked guilty but Sarah didn't look convinced.

"Really? We haven't done anything."

"Then that's the problem!" Ellie huffed, "when was the last time you called him? Checked that he was okay? And what did you say or do the last time you saw him?" Chuck sunk into the couch cushions and looked like he wanted to disappear. But, Ellie wasn't done yet.

"I've invited him to dinner. Now, you two are going to apologise and make up with him. Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourselves. The guy finally tells you something about his family and you kick him around for it!"


	6. TT - Three of Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From AllieDotes on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _I like your snip-its. Although sometimes I wish they were a little longer._
> 
> _But how about this: Neal and Bryce aren't identical twins because they have another identical brother; making them triplets. Who is this third triplet? Who is Neal? Who is Bryce? Are Neal and Bryce just two names that the three brothers take turns filling?_

**Three of Them**

* * *

 

The person Peter knew as Neal pulled up the zipper of his jacket and prepared himself for his mission.

"Danny," a soft voice said as a dark figure snuck in through the balcony doors. "Ready to go?"

"Hey Bryce," Danny said, tugging at his jacket so it would be comfortable. He brought up his leg and placed it on a chair, revealing the anklet. "Remember to smile, okay?"

Bryce sighed. As the youngest, he was used to catering to the whims of his older twins but that didn't mean he liked it.

"I know how to play Neal, thank you," he said as he unlocked the anklet and then fastened it to his own ankle.

"Yeah, but it's been a while. And you've been stuck in medical until now."

"Not my fault the Ring shot me through the stomach."

"You should have seen it coming," Danny sing-songed as he walked towards the balcony. "By the way, Peter's going to pick you up early tomorrow. There's a lot of paperwork which needs to be done."

Danny laughed as he propelled down June's balcony to the ground, where he jumped into a waiting black car. Bryce shook his head at his brother's antics. No wonder Danny was able to come up with someone as out there as Neal Caffrey.

* * *

Danny glanced at the driver and bit his lip. Finley shared his face, the same face which Bryce possessed and was the oldest of the three. He was the one who annoyed Wilkes which resulted in Danny being kidnapped while working for the FBI.

Finley did not play Neal well. But it was convenient to attach his many aliases to Neal and use Neal as a scapegoat whenever he did something outside the law so he was actually responsible for over half of Neal's 'alleged' crimes.

Danny didn't like Finley. While he didn't use guns, one punch could end Neal's status as non-violent.

"Do you really need me for this?" Danny questioned. He was usually the planner, the analyst and mastermind behind their schemes. He could be the front man, and usually was when it came to the FBI, but that was it. Bryce and Finley usually covered the potentially violent missions.

After all, they were the NSA and CIA agent. Danny only worked for a more unknown and private organisation which operated under the intelligence umbrella and recruited him during his travels after dropping out of high school.

"Calm down, Danny," Finley said and Danny bit back his retort that he was calm, "I know you like playing with that FBI agent of yours but we have real work to do."

Danny crinkled his nose in distaste. Peter did real work. He helped people and believed in the right thing. He wondered if Finley would think about it as 'play' if he actually spent a day working with the FBI.

* * *

Bryce smirked. This was an interesting idea.

"Are you sure?" he questioned, glancing between his brothers.

Danny nodded. Finley crossed his arms, silently telling him to get on with it.

"Okay then." Bryce unlocked the anklet and placed it on Finley's leg. "Good luck," he said as he pulled on a janitor's uniform and walked out of the storage closet.

Danny smirked at Finley before also donning a uniform and following Bryce out of the room. He had made a deal with Finley that if he did the mission, then he would get some time off from Neal Caffrey. Bryce was due back in Burbank so the only one left to 'play' Neal was Finley.

"You know, you've got a good thing here," Bryce said to Danny, "it's obvious that everyone likes you."

"They like Neal," Danny pointed out, rolling his eyes. "I don't know how they'd react to me."

"Well, you're always free to come to Burbank if they kick you out," Bryce said and Danny glared at him. Bryce made his exit in a taxi, leaving Danny on the streets of New York with a day of freedom.

And he knew just how he would spend it.

* * *

Finley frowned as he opened Danny's tie drawer. Who needed a tie drawer at work anyway? He noticed the other agents eyeing him strangely and tried to suppress the feeling of wanting to confront them.

The dark woman placed a stack of files on his desk.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"What?" he spat out without thinking. She actually recoiled. Not in terror, he had seen that enough times to recognise it instantly, but in surprise.

"What's wrong with you, Caffrey?" she questioned in the same annoyed tone.

Finley suppressed a sigh as he remembered that he was supposed to be playing Neal. Danny's little pet project. He couldn't see how working with the FBI was helpful at all.

"Sorry," he said through gritted teeth, "I had a bad morning." And it was still going.

"Well, what do you know? Neal Caffrey is human," Jones joked, getting a few laughs from surrounding agents.

Finley's cheeks burned and his eyes narrowed.

"Come on, Caffrey," Jones said and Finley almost expected a slap on the back, "let's get to the meeting."

Finley decided to keep his mouth closed as he followed the rest of the agents up to the conference room.

"Alright, here's our suspect," Agent Burke said, bringing up an image of a fit, bulky man with a small tuft of dark hair and a tattoo of a rose on his right biceps.

Finley's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets. Anthony Brennan; a.k.a. the Sunaikinti? The NSA had been searching for him everywhere and he was in New York?

"Anton Brent," Agent Burke continued, although he gave Finley a curious glance. "Word is, he is in possession of this." He pressed a button and the image on the screen changed to show a painting. "Guernica, one of Picasso's famous pieces. We don't know whether he has the real piece or not. Either he has stolen property or a forgery that he's passing off as the real thing."

It was ironic that a terrorist would use an anti-war icon to fund his own brand of war, Finley thought. He hid his itchy trigger finger as Peter turned to him.

"Neal, we're sending you in as a buyer of the painting. Find out what whether it's real or whether he's passing off a fake."

Or he could arrest him. Finley thought this was a better plan.

* * *

"That really wasn't your plan, was it?" Danny questioned as they huddled in a dark corner. Finley gave him a glare. It was easy for him to say, he didn't have to face down a man he chased across continents only to find out that he hadn't even left the country.

"No," he responded, "I added a punch to the face."

Danny sighed. It had been obvious from the way Brennan's nose was bleeding and the fury on the man's thick face.

"What about you? Surely your plan wasn't to follow me around all day and wait for me to screw up?"

"I didn't expect you to punch a mark in the face!" Danny hissed as he held out his hand for the FBI issued watch around Finley's wrist.

"Really? It's going to be obvious that we switched," Finley commented.

"Trust me," Danny said and Finley relented. It wasn't like he'd be facing the angry FBI agent if they got caught. Although, if Peter did hurt his little brother, he would ruin the guy. Better yet, he would get Bryce to do it. Hacking a few banks might do it.

Danny pulled off his jacket, his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, messing it up a little. He ran a hand through his head to muss it up.

"They'll be too worried about how messy I look to notice the chance in clothes," he explained, tossing his shoes and one of his socks. "Now, go. The jammer I borrowed from Bryce will only work for a few more minutes."

"I'm not going to leave you! He's a murderer, a terrorist!"

Danny shot him a cold glare.

"You forget, I'm an agent too."

"But-"

"Do you really want him to see two of us? Go, Major Larkin!"

Finley cursed and ran, praying that his idiotic brother would be alright.

* * *

Anthony was going to shoot him the moment he found him, or so he thought. But Danny was a conman, a spy and an agent. First, he ducked around a corner. Then, when he heard Anthony coming, he called out;

"The FBI is on the way! If you fire, you'll just be telling them where you are! You can't escape!"

"Oh yeah?" Anthony questioned in a haughty way, revealing that he was a confident man and the best kind of mark.

"My name is Neal Caffrey. I work for the FBI as a CI but I used to be a criminal. I know enough about both sides to escape. Do you?" He could almost hear the gears clicking away in Anthony's head. Three, two, one; that was enough time to think. "Let's make a deal. I help you escape the FBI and you don't shoot me." Now he was probably thinking that he could find a loophole in that deal. It wasn't hard to find, Danny had left a one a mile wide. Once Anthony escaped, the deal was concluded and he would be free to shoot 'Neal'.

True to Danny's predictions, the moment they stepped outside and Anthony thought he was home free, he held the gun at Danny's chest.

"Freeze!" Finley said, holding a gun to his head.

"I said I'd help you escape from the FBI," Danny explained into Anthony's enraged face, "he's not FBI."

"I'm also the guy who punched you," Finley explained before punching him again and knocking him out.

"I'm going to find a room to lock myself in," Danny said, "the FBI will 'save' me and Anton Brent will unfortunately escape, only to be apprehended outside the building. Which I had nothing to do with. You might want to call someone in to take your place as agent, since you really don't want to walk into the FBI with that appearance."

"I'll do that," Finley agreed, "I got to say, it's not easy being Caffrey."

Danny laughed. He never said it was easy.

* * *

Bryce jumped out of the window and landed on the window washers' ledge below.

"Going up," Morgan said, pulling the lever to lift them to the roof. Below them, the guards shouted curses.

"Chuck and Sarah better have that helicopter ready to go," Bryce commented. If they didn't, he and Morgan would be turned into Swiss cheese by bullets.

A glittery tune rang out. Bryce's phone. He looked at the number and sighed.

"If you're going to complain about your day, I'm on a ledge, thirty floors up and rising and there's either a lot of guns or a helicopter in my future."

"We caught the Sunaikinti," Finley said, sounding shocked. This wasn't the first time he had called Bryce to talk about some criminal he caught but it was the first time he sounded shocked about it.

"Really?"

"The FBI found him. How did the FBI find him?" Now Bryce understood; Neal Caffrey caught the Sunaikinti.

"Things slip through the cracks," Bryce said, "the FBI is good at catching them. At least, Peter's team is."

"I see that now. So, you get Danny to feed you FBI information? How do you sign up for that?"

"Ask Danny," Bryce said. The top of the roof started to appear. "Got to go."

* * *

**Finley**

Finley was born thirteen minutes before midnight. His birthday is celebrated the day before Danny's. Growing up, he liked to remind his younger brothers that he was a day older than them and use it to declare himself the boss.

Finley put more effort into sport than schoolwork. He still excelled at any task but preferred to be out in the field and not at a desk.

When Danny ran off, he felt betrayed. He didn't talk about Danny and tried to forget about him.

He joined the army and attained a position with the NSA through his ability and accuracy with firearms. Through his work with the NSA, he heard rumours about another organisation which was looking to work with them and create a taskforce of their agents, NSA agents and CIA agents. When Bryce told him that he was going to be the CIA agent, Finley nominated himself as the NSA agent.

They were both surprised to learn that the other organisation's agent was Danny.

* * *

**Danny**

Danny was the only one of the three who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and was devastated when Ellen told the three brothers the truth on their eighteenth birthday. No one expected him to run away. He hadn't even expected it. Really, he had just decided to go for a walk and try to clear his head. Before he knew it, he had boarded a bus for the next town and contemplating a trip alone. He didn't want to see anyone and running away resulted from that.

He started pulling cons to get some money to keep going and during this time he assumed the name 'Neal Caffrey' and met Keller.

When Keller shot the third man during one of their cons, Neal tried contacting police organisations to get him charged. Lying, stealing, conning was okay. Killing was not. Nothing seemed to happen until an organisation which he didn't contact, contacted him. They told him that they wanted to hire him, that they would give him the chance to put Keller behind bars.

That chance wouldn't come for years. Not until he began working with Peter.

He used his organisation contacts to find out what Finley and Bryce were doing and discovered that they were working for the CIA and NSA. When the higher-ups discovered that, they decided to set up a taskforce containing agents across their three organisations.

* * *

**Bryce**

Bryce was the youngest of the brothers. Since Finley's birthday was the day before his and Danny's, their parents decided to celebrate his birthday the day after he was born. That way, each triplet had a day to themselves.

Bryce was the quiet one. Neal applied himself to his studies and Finley applied himself to sports. Bryce grew attached to track which was enough to get him a scholarship to Stanford.

So when Danny ran and Finley joined the army, Bryce went to Stanford. He was recruited into the CIA and a year later got his best friend kicked out to keep him out of the CIA. He went on missions but never forgot to stay in contact with his remaining brother. Through his work with the CIA, he heard rumours about another organisation which was looking to work with them and create a taskforce of their agents, NSA agents and CIA agents. The higher ups nominated him.

He contacted Finley and told him and they both joined the taskforce.

He was surprised when Danny turned out to be the other organisation's agent. Finley started yelling at him while Danny tried to explain and Bryce had to calm them both down.


	7. TBT - Two by Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From KeJae on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _I love how EL didn't know about Peter's twin and suddenly one, two, three, walk in... It would be great if the team had to meet them dressed the same. Like a Peter and Neal walk in... then another identical Peter and Neal walk in (or out) ;) The team wouldn't know what to think of that. :/ ___
> 
> _  
> _Notes: If anyone's wondering, Kieran and Bryce are wearing similar outfits because they borrowed their twins' clothing when their luggage was lost._  
> _

**TBT - Two by Two**

* * *

Diana walked through the files, looking for a certain one for a case she was working on when Peter bumped her aside in order to grab a file.

"Sorry about that," Neal said, holding out his hands to steady her. She noticed that he had the conman smile on his face, tinged with sweetness she hadn't seen since the first day they met. "He hasn't had his morning coffee yet."

"Of course," she grumbled, stepping away. Neal must have done something really bad to get Peter this grumpy and feel the need to protect himself with more of a glamour than usual.

She didn't think there was anything strange about this until she walked up into the conference room to find Peter standing at the front and Neal sitting in the chair nearest to him. Back down in the bullpen she thought she could just see a bobbing head of raven hair which matched Neal's but wasn't certain.

"Something wrong?" Peter questioned.

"Nothing boss," she said, moving to her seat next to Jones. Jones gave her a curious glance.

"Okay, I apologise for the short notice but we have a new case." There were a few murmurs of interest. Peter rarely apologised for handing out new cases. Usually he just said that it was their job and that they needed to get with it or get out. "And we will be working with FBI agents from the Burbank office." Peter winced as he said this. They weren't FBI agents, it was just a cover up. He hated cover ups. "Now, Agents Ryker and Larkin might appear familiar to you but, I ask you to look beyond that and treat them like real agents." He and Neal shared a glance and he felt it prudent to add, "and no jokes."

With that said, he had all the agents attention. It was a strange enough intro without adding in how Neal had been nodding in agreement as he spoke.

Neal even mumbled, "please, no jokes," almost like a prayer when Peter finished.

"Well, there's no preparing you for this," Peter sighed, turning to the door. "Agents?"

There were mixed reactions around the conference room, ranging from surprise to shock to horror and even amazed. Blake's surprising string of curses was the loudest, Diana hadn't thought the younger agent had it in him.

It was another pair of Peter and Neal. They were even dressed in the same outfits, the other Neal wearing a fedora tipped over his head and the other Peter wearing one of Peter's more -creative- ties.

"Hey," the other Neal said with a wave. "I'm Special Agent Bryce Larkin and this is my partner, Special Agent Kieran Ryker."

"You're an agent?" Diana and a few other agents burst out in surprise. How was it possible for someone with Neal's face and personality to be an agent?

Bryce blinked.

"Yes?"

"Pardon me but, how is that possible?" Diana asked.

"Uh, I went to Stanford?" he responded, "I know that's not much to you Harvard grads but it was enough to get me in."

"And before you ask, he went on a sports scholarship, I had nothing to do with it," Neal said, catching a few curious glances his way.

"Do we really care?" Kieran questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Let's just get the job done so we can get back to Burbank and out of your hair."

* * *

Diana didn't know what to make of this. She imagined that Mozzie would have a field day, if the little guy even knew. Bryce and Neal were bent over a sample of their forger's work; a small jewel encrusted jewellery box. They were chatting in hushed tones but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were reflections of each other.

Two Neals. And upstairs in Peter's office were two Peters, trying to locate their forger through numerous aliases.

In unison, Neal and Bryce laughed and Peter and Kieran looked up to glare at them.

The rest of the office shuddered.

"You know, I went to hand Neal a coffee and it turned out I was talking to Bryce," Blake said at end of the day. "I didn't even notice until Peter, at least I think it was Peter, came up to us and called him Bryce."

"Same here. I went to hand Peter the paperwork on a case and it was Kieran in his office. At least the guy quickly pointed out my error and sent me on my way." Anyone could see that Jones was still annoyed with this incident.

By the end of the week, almost everyone in the office and a few outside had a similar story involving the sets of twins.

Diana went to drop a file off at Peter's home and Kieran opened the door in a shirt and sweats. They stared at each other for a moment and she was about to explain why she was here when he turned back to call, "Peter! It's for you!"

Mozzie actually burst into the office to yell at Neal for leaving his 'brainwashed government duplicate' at June's.

And Ruiz was unfortunate enough to be left out of the loop until he spotted Bryce walking around without his anklet on and, mistaking him for Neal because why wouldn't he?, he arrested him.

Ruiz vowed not to enter the White Collar division's offices until the twins were gone.

So, they all breathed a sigh of relief when the case was closed and Kieran Ryker and Bryce Larkin left.


	8. PGU - The Problem with Going Undercover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Fiona12690 on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _Would it be possible to see a one-shot of Undercover!Neal (Maybe during Season 1 or 2) stumbling upon or into a major RING operation while undercover for the FBI. The CIA/NSA sends team Bartowski (w/Bryce along for the ride) to apprehend him for further questioning. They have no picture for him, only his alias as Nick Halden. Bonus: Angry/Overprotective!Bryce, Hurt!Neal._
> 
> Notes: Sorry for the delay. Work was busy these past few weeks and I caught a little cough and throat thing which sapped me of all my energy. Anyway, extra long chapter to make up for it. Opinions may vary on whether I get the bonus or not.

**PGU - The Problem with Going Undercover**

* * *

Neal looked over the information of his task. It would be tricky, there was no doubting that but, it wasn't exactly illegal. And even though the stolen painting was involved in the mix of images he had been given, it was only a printout and not the painting itself.

"So, can you do it?" The man across from him gave him the creeps. It was a feeling that Neal had only had a few times before.

One of those times was meeting his brother's girlfriend, now ex-girlfriend. It was a feeling of his every movement being watched and examined. It was similar to the feeling of talking to another con but it was colder, harder.

"Give me three days," he said. He'd know by then whether he could do it or not. Either he would have the piece completed or Peter would have another plan to take this man down.

Neal didn't want to think about the third option of him getting away. He didn't want this person to stay out on the streets. Once the man left with Jones tailing him, Neal stood up and walked down the block. He glanced around and then jumped into the back of a utility vehicle.

"No luck?" Peter asked, seeing the look on his face. Neal tossed him the packet.

"He wants me to create an image using miniatures of those paintings," he explained, "I don't understand why."

"A picture made out of pictures?" Peter questioned. He didn't understand it either.

"Think we have the right guy?" Diana asked. They were looking for a painting thief and a stolen painting and not a strange painting collector with a commission.

"My gut tells me 'yes'," Peter mused, "Eli Alberts visited the Wragge family home three times during the week the painting was stolen. Shelley Wrangge said he had a creepy fascination with it and he even subtlety inquired on whether they would sell. He's our man."

"If he has the painting, I don't think he's going to let me anywhere near it," Neal sighed, "he just wants me to make his little art-piece, collect my pay and vanish."

Peter mused on that information for a few moments.

"Alright, head home," he said to Neal, "get to work on this in case we need it."

Neal gave a grateful nod and jumped out of the van.

"Head straight back to June's, Neal!" Peter warned him before he walked away, "I'll be watching."

Neal sighed and glanced down at the infernal tracker on his ankle. Of course Peter would be watching. And probably Fowler too, waiting for Neal to find that accursed music box.

* * *

It turned out that Peter, Fowler and the FBI weren't the only ones watching. Although the other watchers were hidden inside the cafe which served as Neal's and Alberts' meeting place.

A blond and brown haired couple sat a few seats away. As Neal left another man, this one with dark hair, sat down next to the blond woman.

"Did you get a shot of Halden's face?" Bryce asked. The couple; Chuck and Sarah, shook their heads.

"He was wearing a hat!" Chuck said, as if it was an offence. Although, in his mind, it was. "He was wearing a hat indoors! Who does that?"

"So, we have no confirmation on what 'Nick Halden' looks like," Bryce summarised, "or whether he's a Ring agent."

"I'm following him," Casey's voice said over their comms, telling them that all was not lost. They would not lose Halden into the crowds which made up New York.

"Let's go," Bryce said. He noticed the look which Chuck and Sarah shared. Ever since she suggested running away from the CIA during Chuck's training and Chuck decided to stay, their relationship had been downgraded to coworkers. If Chuck hadn't come to Bryce, broken and about to quit because he was only doing this for her, Bryce would have snapped up the blond spy for himself. Seeing Chuck baring his emotions for him, reminiscent of Stanford and simpler days, Bryce had decided to remain ex-boyfriend to Sarah and that his chance at her had past.

Now he just had to get them back together. He had thought this mission would help them work through their issues but it didn't seem to be working. Casey had informed him that they were working on it but, were still far from trying again.

* * *

They caught up to Casey when Halden stopped in front of a multi-story mansion. It was old and beautiful and they all stared for a moment.

"Looks like 'Halden's' doing good for himself," Casey snorted.

"Keep your gun hidden," Bryce reminded him, "we do this quick. Chuck, ready with the bag?"

Chuck held up a dark bag.

"Ready," he said. It reminded him a little of Stanford, when a few of the guys tried to fake kidnap Bryce for a surprise birthday party. Bryce had let himself be pulled away, admitting later that he knew it was them because he caught a glimpse of Chuck's cheap sneakers.

Chuck smiled.

"Never thought I'd see you happy to kidnap someone," Sarah muttered, knocking him out of his memories. Chuck immediately tried to tell her why he was smiling but she didn't listen and Casey shushed them.

"Hold on," Bryce muttered as a van pulled out of traffic and pulled up next to Halden. Three men jumped out and threw a bag over his head before pulling him into the van. They then sped off into the distance, only slowing down to chuck something out of the window.

Casey managed to get a few shots at the van, but missed all the vital spots.

"Damn, they're good," he praised, although reluctantly.

"I don't think Halden's working with them," Sarah commented as Bryce strode forward. He looked down at the object the kidnappers had thrown out.

"And I don't think we're the only people watching him," he commented, pointing to the discarded tracking anklet. He waved Chuck over and, as he expected, Chuck flashed on the device.

Chuck informed them that it was a GPS tracking device commonly used on parolees which had never been skipped on. Bryce and Sarah both snorted at that. There were a number of ways to get out of a tracking anklet.

"So, Nick Halden is a criminal out of parole?" Bryce questioned rhetorically. He looked back the way the truck went. There was something off here.

"Even so, he doesn't deserve to be kidnapped," Chuck said, "we're going to help him."

Casey raised a sceptical eyebrow and Sarah frowned.

Bryce agreed;

"Where do we start?"

* * *

Bryce watched over the tracker to see who turned up while Chuck, Sarah and Casey tried to track down where Halden had been taken. Casey was hunting around while Sarah looked for information in the New York underworld. Unknown to everyone except Bryce, Chuck was hacking into security cameras and trying to figure out where the van went.

Bryce was surprised when it wasn't the local police but the FBI who turned up. He hadn't expected that. He pulled on a beenie hat and walked past, listening to whatever words reached his ears.

"...he isn't running..."

"...neighbours report..."

"...a van pulled up..."

"We need to find him!" That last sentence was said with fervour and worry and Bryce couldn't help turning around. It came from a well-built man in a Brooks Brothers suit, standing in the middle of the chaos of evidence gathering, investigating agents.

Bryce mused on this as he walked away. It was strange for FBI to care so much for a parole, even one selling them information. Either they knew that Alberts wasn't all he seemed or there was some backstory behind the Feds and the parolee.

These urgent Feds were going to make his job a bit more difficult.

"Bryce," Chuck's voice came hesitantly over the comm. "I think I know where they took him."

"Good." Bryce smiled and then a harsh, mad and panicked voice reached him.

"Suit! This is all your fault! If you hadn't sent him out..."

Bryce turned back to see a short man with thick black glasses confronting the FBI agent.

* * *

Chuck wrung his hands nervously as they parked the car a block from the house where Nick Halden was being held. He had followed the van to this location where cameras picked up people being dropped off, one being held up by the others like a drunkard. All he could get was a shot of the man's wavy dark hair from above so they couldn't be sure whether he was Halden or not.

And Sarah and Casey hadn't been informed that Chuck was the one to locate them, at Chuck's request. Bryce understood why but he didn't like it. To Sarah and Casey, Chuck was innocent and uncorrupted; although Sarah's opinion had changed since he shunned her for the CIA. They didn't know that Chuck was a hacker known as the Piranha and, while no agency knew anything about him besides the 'Piranha's' rap sheet, there were crimes attributed to his name. Bryce knew this and he also knew that the 'Piranha' vanished before Chuck went to Stanford.

"Alright," he sighed, noticing how Sarah and Chuck were standing away from each other. "Let's go."

* * *

Neal grunted when they tossed him back into a chair, two sets of hands pressing on his shoulders and wrists to keep him down. The bag was still over his head, which he didn't understand since they had taken it off to guide him inside. Right after punching him in the gut, hard, so he would bend over in pain.

"Hello, Mr. Halden," a cold voice said and Neal realised that he wasn't here because Alberts was a cheapskate who would rather kidnap someone to do work rather than pay him.

"It seems like you know who I am," he said confidently, "how about you return the favour?"

He breathed a sigh of relief as the bag came off his head… and then felt his body go cold as he was standing face-to-face with Jones.

Jones was flanked by Alberts and another man and was roughly shoved into the chair next to him.

"Want to tell me why the Feds are following me?" Alberts asked in his cold voice.

"What?" Neal questioned, using his surprise to try and convince Alberts that he knew nothing about the Feds.

Alberts eyes narrowed.

"Boss, what do we do with them?" one of the guys holding Neal down said as he fastened him down to the chair with cords.

Alberts looked Neal up and down.

"A suggestion?" Neal said, flashing a smile. "Let us go? I mean, I can't work like this."

Alberts stepped closer. And then he rammed a fist into Neal's gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"We could have done this easily if you didn't bring the feds into it," he said, ramming his fist into Neal's cheek next. "All you had to do was make me a picture I could use to track down candidates!" Another punch. Neal spat the blood pooling in his mouth to the ground and groaned.

Pain shuddered through his body and he couldn't focus on what was going on around him. That was bad. He could hear Jones shouting something in outrage and then the sound of a gun.

"Well, ain't this interesting," Casey drawled in an uninterested tone as the door guard pulled him in.

Neal blinked and tried to get a good look at the new guy. Tall, broad and military-like, he was not one of the agents Peter worked with.

"Who are you?" Alberts questioned.

"That doesn't matter," another voice said as two more people burst through the door with guns and another person behind them. Neal only recognised one of the people.

"Bwce?" he slurred, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

"Neal?" He could hear the horror in his twin brother's voice. Bryce turned to Alberts. "Federal agents. Get down on the ground." His voice was level but low and dangerous.

Alberts turned to him and raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to say something by was cut off by a shot.

One shot to Alberts' knee and one shot for each of his men.

* * *

The ambulances came quickly and all the injured people were loaded up and shipped to the hospital. Jones tried flashing his badge to get in with Neal but Bryce stepped up and said that he was Neal's brother and managed to talk his way in, leaving Jones on the sidewalk to call Peter.

Bryce stayed with Neal the whole way there. Neal was lucky with no internal injuries or broken bones. He did have a concussion which meant that Bryce stayed by his side as they set him up in an overnight bed.

"So, you're Nick Halden?" Bryce finally asked.

"And you're a federal agent?" Neal responded while lying back on his bed with an arm pressed over his eyes. Bryce had to admit, his brother was good at stirring up pity. It was a stark contrast to how Neal was back when they were kids. Back then, Neal liked to hide whenever he was sick or injured.

"At least I know now why I never got to meet any of your 'New York friends'."

"And why I never got to meet any of your 'friends'."

"He doesn't have friends," Casey rumbled, appearing in the doorway.

"Although it's nice to know you didn't know about your brother being the guy we were looking for," Chuck pointed out cheerfully. He walked over to Neal and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Chuck."

"Neal," Neal responded as he took his hand. "What do you mean, looking for?"

"We're looking for members of a certain group," Sarah started but Bryce moved to stand before her.

"You can question him later," he said.

She raised her eyebrows at him, sceptical. What happened to the job coming first?

"I'll be giving a full report to the FBI," Neal rumbled a moment later, "you can read it then."

"The what?" Sarah and Casey questioned in surprise.

"The F. B. I," Neal responded slowly, "surely you've heard of them? Ridged, Brooks Brothers suits, terrible fashion sense and people skills."

"Right, if you need me, I'll be at the hotel," Casey grumbled to Bryce before leaving the room.

"I'm staying," Bryce said, getting a groan from Neal.

"Wouldn't it be better to get out of here before the FBI comes?" he suggested.

"I can handle the FBI." Bryce eyed Chuck and Sarah. "But, you two should head back to the hotel. You can go together." He made sure to make this sound less like a suggestion and more like an order.

Chuck smiled while Sarah glared at him. She had an idea what he was planning.

"They may detain me while they question me about Neal's rescue," he explained, "and I would rather that only one of us get held up by the 'due process'."

"Going," Sarah said, grabbing Chuck's arm as they left.

"She doesn't like the words 'due process'," Neal mused.

"Her father is wanted by a few agencies," Bryce responded, "she doesn't really like any of the agencies, but she fits with the CIA which is the only reason she works with them."

"You sound forlorn," Neal said.

"She's happier with Chuck," Bryce sighed and Neal sighed with him.

"We make a great pair," Neal chuckled darkly as he thought about Kate. He loved her but it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to keep him from turning back to Peter. And it wasn't enough to keep her from dying.

* * *

"I want to know how this happened! How is it the only information we could get was the name 'Nick Halden'?" Peter heard someone scolding as he stormed down the hall to Neal's room. He had Diana talking to Jones and getting his story.

It had been the strangest thing. Neal gets kidnapped and Jones vanished while tracking Alberts. Then they turn up at the same location, rescued by strangers and on their way to the hospital.

He had seen Jones briefly, who said there was something about one of the strangers. He said that it sounded crazy but he was certain he looked like Neal.

"Really? That's that best excuse you have? 'Halden' almost ended up killed tonight because someone messed up! How come you didn't check with the FBI?"

Peter reached the door of Neal's room at this point and was almost floored by the sight of an angry Neal look-a-like, pacing the floor of the room and grumbling into his phone.

Neal was sitting up at in his bed and was smirking at the sight.

"Hey Peter!" he greeted cheerfully. Peter noticed the way Neal was subtlety shielding his eyes away from the light. "Did you get him?"

Peter shook his head.

"Alberts vanished on the way to the hospital. We have no idea where he is now." He glanced over at the twin.

"Peter, Bryce, Bryce Peter," Neal said, mostly to Peter, "he's trying to figure out where Alberts went."

Bryce hung up and snapped the burner phone in two, causing Peter to jolt.

"Okay, we have no idea where he went," he said with a frown. After what Alberts did to Neal, he wanted him behind bars. CIA or FBI, it didn't matter. "But, my team is working on it."

"Your team?" Peter questioned with a raised eyebrow. He tried to take comfort from Bryce's usage of the word 'team' and not 'crew'. Peter needed to watch his thinking. Just because Bryce looked like Neal, didn't mean that he was also a criminal. Even so, it was difficult for him.

"Just leave it up to Bryce's team," Neal sighed at him, "they're trained to handle these guys."

Peter gave Neal a strange look. While he was ready to pass of boring cases and paperwork inside the White Collar office, Neal rarely suggested handing off important cases to teams outside of White Collar. And this wasn't a case of their definitions of 'important' being different. Neal had shown that he knew this was an important case in his decision to go undercover.

And 'trained to handle these guys'? What did that mean?

"Neal, lie down," Bryce said, unconsciously echoing Neal's sigh. He moved over to the bed in order to make his brother comfortable.

"It's just a concussion. I'm fine."

"You didn't seem 'fine' earlier," Bryce pointed out, planting his bottom on the bed to keep Neal from moving around. He was worried about his brother, especially since he had been in the hands of Ring agents.

"Why does Neal think you're able to handle this?" Peter questioned bluntly.

Bryce considered how much to tell him. He looked at Neal, who nodded to indicate that Peter was trustworthy. It shocked Bryce, his heart freezing for a moment, as he realised that his twin brother really trusted this agent. His twin brother, who couldn't even trust the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"Because I've been hunting these guys and their 'group' across the world," he responded, leaving it at that.

Uncomprehending, Peter turned to Neal.

"Really Peter, leave it," Neal said, "I'm sure you'll get a phone call from Hughes telling you the same thing anyway."

Neal was right. He did.


	9. TASTN - The Truth about Stanford

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From KMW1968:  
>  _"What if saving Chuck from the CIA was not Bryce's real reason for framing Chuck at Stanford? What if he was acting under duress? What if Neal was kidnapped and the price of his life was Chuck's disgrace and the loss of Chuck's friendship? Who is responsible and why? How does Chuck find out and how does he react to the truth about what happened at Stanford?"_

**TASTN - The Truth about Stanford**

* * *

Jill had been feeding FULCRUM information about Stanford during her time there. It was good information, helping them choose people for their cause during a time when they could be guided into making the right decision.

Except, they became increasingly aware of a few problems. First, that they needed more agents on campus. And second was that, lately, Jill had not been focusing on their cause.

"Her reports have less and less information and the time between submissions is increasing."

"What's changed?" There was a list but the point which stood out was her boyfriend; Chuck Bartowski.

She had been given the okay to go out with him because he was intelligent and they thought he would be easy to control but, it seemed that wasn't true.

"He's turning her."

"Nonsense. He's no agent."

"He doesn't have to be an agent to turn her."

"Then we get rid of him. And his place will be given to one of our agents in order to infiltrate Stanford."

"How?"

There was much discussion. Until...

"I can do it," a voice with a lisp said, a screen lighting up with a conference call.

"We hire you, Matthew Keller, for matters we wish to stay out of but that does not give you permission to phone these private chambers."

"Let the man talk. Then we can judge."

"Chuck's roommate. He has a twin, who I happen to be acquainted with. This can be used to control him."

"It is a plan."

"And our hands would be clean."

"Fine. Keller you may do this."

"And if I do?" Keller left the rest of the query unsaid. They sighed. They knew what Keller wanted, he had been asking for it whenever they brought him a job.

"We'll clear your debt with the Italians."

"Thank you. Now was that so hard?"

* * *

The box appeared on his doorstep with little warning. It was small, brown and had his name printed on it.

"You order something?" Chuck asked him jokingly.

"Nope," Bryce responded with a smirk. He wondered if this was some kind of test to do with the CIA. Those thoughts were the reason he opened the box in the privacy of his own room.

A tape and a photo? He frowned in confusion as he picked up the tape. There was no label on it. Then he pulled out the photo.

It was a picture of Danny, tied up with a swelling bruise on his face. There was a local newspaper displayed on his lap so that Bryce could see that the photo had been taken that day.

Terror and anger rushed through him. Was this some kind of joke? Danny had disappeared almost a year ago! So, why would they send a ransom now?

He quickly stumbled for Chuck's old tape player and loaded the tape. He pressed 'play', shivering with the thought of what he might hear.

"Bryce Larkin. Enjoying Stanford? Well, I'm sure you are since you're not grifting the way your brother is. Does the name Neal Caffrey mean anything to you? It doesn't matter if it doesn't, I'm sure you've seen the photo. But I digress. I need your help.

"Your roommate, Chuck Bartowski. He has made some enemies. They want him removed. Now, we could do it the permanent way or you could figure out something a little less... messy."

Bryce grit his teeth and thought curses at this unknown kidnapper.

"You have forty-eight hours. If Chuck is gone from Stanford in that time, you get your brother back. If not, then this gets messy. For Chuck and your brother." The tape ended with a cry of pain which was obviously Danny's. Bryce's heart stopped. His head kicked into gear.

He was an agent-in-training for the CIA! There was no way he could give into the whims of a kidnapper.

But, it was Danny. He didn't want to lose his twin; he couldn't lose him.

And why Chuck?

* * *

"I'm waiting for another student."

"Chuck?" Bryce questioned, "he's not coming." He had found out about Professor Flemming's arranged meeting with Chuck when he had tried to arrange his own meeting with the Professor.

It seemed almost too easy. Bryce framed Chuck for cheating and got him kicked out. He felt terrible about it but, it was his guilt to bear. And when Danny turned up unconscious outside his room, he felt he had made the best decision.

Besides, Chuck and Danny were both safe; what was a little guilt compared to their lives?

* * *

When Danny woke, he was able to identify his kidnapper. Apparently, he knew the man which was why he had been caught off guard when Matthew Keller knocked him out, tied him up and held him captive. Keller had liked to talk and explained that he was doing to this Neal so that he would know better than to cross him.

Danny explained that he had seen Keller kill a man in cold blood and had been trying to make things right by giving police information to help them close the case and trying to convince Keller to give the man's share of the money to his family.

There was stuff about this that didn't make sense but they had to put it behind them. Bryce needed to finish studying so that he could go on missions and help people.

Danny, who finally explained to him why he was going by 'Neal', decided to head to New York.

* * *

It was Supermax where Chuck found him, years later. It was a few weeks after Chuck had downloaded the FULCRUM Intersect and only a few days after he had a disturbing and startling flash.

Once again, he had flashed on the old Stanford photo of himself. This time he wasn't bombarded with the CIA information on himself but the FULCRUM information; the plan to get rid of him before he corrupted one of their agents.

The plan which Matthew Keller pulled off and the plan which involved using the person closest to Chuck, Bryce Larkin, by kidnapping the person closest to Bryce. His twin brother, Neal Caffrey.

Chuck had performed a search for Neal and then set out to meet the man.

He wasn't prepared for how much Neal looked like Bryce. Except, where Bryce acted serious, Neal acted nonchalant with a smile.

"Uh, hi," Chuck said, as the man dressed in orange stared at him with a polite smile. "I'm Chuck Bartowski."

Neal sucked in a breath and then gave a hoarse back of laughter.

"Well, no wonder they didn't give me your name!"

"You know who I am?" Chuck questioned in surprise.

"Bryce told me about you," Neal responded, "so, to what do I owe this little visit?"

"Stanford and Matthew Keller," Chuck said, "I believe you might have been used as part of the plan to get me kicked out of Stanford?"

Neal's face drooped and he sighed.

"That's also how I know about you," he explained. Keller had been very talkative about his plans and the results. "What do you want to know?"

"Where's Keller now?"

"No idea. Obviously, we haven't talked much since that day. He likes to turn up and challenge me every now and then but, I haven't seen him since my arrest."

"Oh." Chuck felt better now that he had confirmed that the information was true. Bryce hadn't just kicked him out of Stanford to protect him but to also protect his twin.

Bryce had family and, like Chuck, was willing to do anything to protect them.


	10. RBD1 - The Beginning of Ruiz's Bad Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on Fanfiction.net; RBD (Ruiz's Bad Day - CIs vs Agents):  
>  _You should do a prequel to this one perhaps were Ruiz thinks Bryce is Neal and calls Neal in to expose him as a killer_

**RBD1 - The Beginning of Ruiz's Bad Day**

* * *

Ruiz wasn't having much luck with this case. Members of the Russian mob were moving in and out of New York like flies and he still hadn't figured out what they were up to. The only reason he had a case was because he had an informant at one of the bars they ran; a place where some of them were meeting.

"Agent Ruiz!" one of the clerks said frantically, knocking once on his door before letting themselves in. He scowled at them and silently conveyed that it better be good or they would be filling shelves for weeks. "Radimir Pasternak has been spotted!"

Ruiz smiled. Maybe this would be a good day after all. He stood up and took the notes from her hand as he dashed out of his office and down towards the elevator. He called two of his agents to come with him. If this was Radimir, they might be in for a fight. They had been after him for years.

* * *

Ruiz didn't know how to feel when his agents pulled the person out of the closet. Who hides in a closet?

"I didn't kill him!" He looked a mess with his dark hair mussed and his shirt pulled out and missing a few buttons.

Besides looking messed up, it was still Neal Caffrey. Ruiz would be able to hold this over Peter Burke's head for years to come. A criminal was just a criminal, after all; they couldn't change no matter who stood up for them.

But, he knew that this would hurt Peter and no matter how Ruiz acted, he did respect the other agent. Peter Burke was a bloodhound when it came to catching criminals and everyone knew he was incorruptible. He just had a feeling that the respect only went one way.

His agents looked to him for orders. Caffrey or not, Burke's wrath or not, Ruiz was not letting this guy get away.

"Book him and take him back to the office for questioning."

* * *

"What did you call me?" Caffrey questioned, almost revolted at the name.

"Neal. Caffrey," Ruiz repeated slowly, resting his hand on his forehead. This was the most annoying questioning session ever. He didn't think it was easy to get Caffrey to talk but, Caffrey was playing games with him. "It's your name and don't try to tell me otherwise."

"Well, I'm going to. I don't even know who Neal Caffrey is!" Ruiz sighed and placed Caffrey's file in front of him. "Now, Agent Burke is still in a meeting but, when he comes out, you can bet that he's going to come here. So, drop the act!"

"This isn't me." He stared up at Ruiz with a flat expression, which baffled the agent. If he didn't know better, he would think that this person believed what he was saying.

Neal Caffrey, one of the best liars the world had ever seen. It just made Ruiz more determined to bring him down.

"Agent Ruiz? Maybe we should see if he's story checks out?" one of the agents suggested, "I mean, if Caffrey's up on the White Collar floor, then this guy's story checks out. If not, well, maybe we can add 'obstruction of Justice' to his list of charges."

"Fine," Ruiz grumbled. He had a feeling this day was not about to get any better.


	11. HF - Hacker Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on AO3:  
>  _I really like stories where Chuck is not only close to Bryce but to Neal as well. And if Mozzie had prior knowledge of Chuck and calls him when he has a computer related emergency? I don't know, just something to play with._

**HF - Hacker Friends**

* * *

Mozzie was stuck. He had no idea how he was going to do this. It was crazy. He should just call Neal right now and get Neal to talk some sense into him.

Then he remembered that Neal was more than likely going to tell him that he was overreacting and talk him into walking through those cold doors. Mozzie should have stayed in New York for once. The overcast skies and bustling city fit him better than the sun, sand and sea of Burbank, California.

He sighed and decided to take the first step into enemy territory. He had set up a failsafe email anyway. If he didn't walk out of there a free man, then it would activate.

"Do you need any help?" a man around his height but with hair and beard Mozzie could only wish for, asked.

Mozzie's eyes narrowed. This was a trick, he was certain of it. The last time he had come in here, no one had bothered to even approach him.

"I'm looking for Chuck Bartowski."

"Well, you're in luck!" Mozzie wondered what they put in the water here. He could think of a few mind-altering substances which would cause this kind of elatedness. "He returned to work only a few weeks ago!"

Returned? Mozzie mused on this. He knew that Bryce had dropped off the map, leaving Neal in a slightly worried state back in New York but that was nothing new.

Something big must have gone down in the world of government conspiracies and secret acquisitions. In layman terms; the world of spies.

Mozzie walked up to the counter where the most unlikely of spies was sitting behind the desk looking depressed.

"You finally learn that working for the government isn't all it seems?" Mozzie questioned as he pulled his bag up and set it on the counter.

"They fired me," Chuck sighed and then he seemed to jolt out of his thoughts as he realised who he was talking to. "Mozzie!"

"Charles."

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be in New York with Neal; isn't he due to be released soon?"

"No one can understand the mysteries of the human condition," Mozzie said. When he spotted the confusion flash across Chuck's face, he elaborated, "Neal broke out for Kate and earned himself four more years in the process."

"What?" Chuck questioned. "Who breaks out with only months left on a four year sentence? And they gave him four more years for it?"

"Yes. It seems Neal is fully beyond reason," Mozzie stated. "He intends to make a deal with the FBI to get out on parole."

"Well, I guess that's better than rotting away in prison." Chuck noticed that Mozzie didn't seem thrilled about it. "What's wrong with the FBI?"

"You have to ask?" Mozzie shook his head. "Can't believe I'm hearing this. Weren't you on their watch-list at one point?" Chuck flailed a little before hushing Mozzie.

"Please don't talk about that," he said. "I was stupid back then and no one knows."

Mozzie smiled; now he had leverage.

"Fine. But fix my Lucy," he said, pushing his bag forward. Inside, his poor, sick, laptop was waiting to be fixed. And the only person he could -marginally- trust to fix it was Chuck.

"You know, you only had to ask," Chuck said as he pulled the bag towards him.

* * *

**IRC Chat**

* * *

Piranha: Moz? You there?

VitaPedrillo: No real names online, P!

Piranha: Sorry.

VitaPedrillo: I thought you were out of the game?

Piranha: I was! I mean, I am.

VitaPedrillo: So... you wouldn't be willing to assist me with a little computer problem?

Piranha: You know I'm always there for you, Vita. Just bring Lucy 'round and I'll fix her.

VitaPedrillo: Lucy's fine. I meant N's anklet.

Piranha: N?

VitaPedrillo: Our mutual friend. The romantic with a clone?

Piranha: Oh. Him. What anklet?

VitaPedrillo: GPS. His new friend put it on him.

Piranha: Careful, Vita. You sound jealous.

VitaPedrillo: So when N's romantic clone comes back into the picture, you really think you can hold onto your honey without getting jealous?

Piranha: Probably not the best comparison. Besides, N's clone is 'dead'

VitaPedrillo: Ah-Hah! You admit government conspiracy!

Piranha: What? No I don't!

VitaPedrillo: 'dead' means 'not dead'! Government conspiracy!

Piranha: ...

-Vulture has entered chat-

Vulture: Piranha. I heard you got out of the community.

Piranha: Vulture. I've heard about you.

Vulture: Not interested in exposing corruption with us?

Piranha: More like, I don't have the time.

VitaPedrillo: Piranha got a girl.

Vulture: Really?

VitaPedrillo: Really. He goes for the skinny blond type.

Piranha: What? How?

Vulture: Shame. You're a legend.

VitaPedrillo: Yes. Man of the people.

Piranha: I'm leaving now. Contact you later about that problem of yours, Vita.

-Piranha has left the chat-

Vulture: You are friends with the Piranha.

VitaPedrillo: It appears so.

Vulture: We should chat.

* * *

Chuck smiled at the baby sleeping in the crib. Life was going great and there was peace at last. His wife was in the other room, trying to fit her new gun under the couch cushions. His best friend was at work, trying to avoid his fiancée's father. It was ironic really, since they used to work in the same store until Casey ran off to spend a few months globe-trotting with his new girlfriend. Morgan figured that they had the Buy More so wired that he would be able to see Casey coming and hide. Chuck didn't have the heart to tell him that Casey would track him down once he caught wind of the engagement and hiding wouldn't do any good.

"Chuck? Did you order something from one of those websites of yours?" Sarah questioned, bring in a small brown package.

"No," Chuck responded. He took the package and looked it over. The sender was 'Bob'. Just 'Bob', no last name and no return address. "Oh, I know who sent this."

He saw the baffled expression on Sarah's face. How had he managed to figure it out with so little information? Chuck only knew on 'Bob' who was just 'Bob' and it would be just like him to send a package with no last name and no return address.

Indeed, it was a message from Mozzie and a piece of gold from, if the letter was to be believed, a sunken Nazi U-boat.

'A little gift, since we had to flee the country.' Chuck didn't even have to ask who 'we' were.

"'Flee the country'?" Sarah read in confusion. "Chuck, what is this?"

Chuck smiled at her and told her the story of a conman and a thief, although Mozzie would loath to be called a thief, and the hacker who  _-allegedly-_  helped them out once.

Maybe a little more than once.

* * *

**How they met:**

* * *

Mozzie's interest was piqued. Twins, spies and almost unrestricted access to a source of prestigious information; the facilities of Stanford.

"Look, Bryce's roommate doesn't know about the CIA," Neal explained as they walked down the hall to meet with Bryce's 'buddies'. This was the less prestigious side of Stanford and something Mozzie would otherwise avoid, if it wasn't a cover for Neal and his brother to meet and exchange information.

"Danny!" Bryce called out, smiling and waving as soon as they entered through the doors.

"Bryce!" Neal held out his arms and wrapped his twin in a hug. "Happy birthday!"

"You too!"

"Got you a present!" Neal smirked, tossing a package into Bryce's hands. Bryce gave him a raised eyebrow in return, a silent question as to how the present had been acquired. "Relax, I paid for it. With money I earned at my job."

Mozzie didn't approve. He thought that most of the money Neal was earner should have gone back into Adler's investment fund in order to garner trust with the rich man.

"So, Bryce has a twin brother," one of the party-goers said, stumbling up to Mozzie.

"That was my impression when N-Danny told me about Bryce," Mozzie responded, hoping that this would be enough for the frat boy to go away.

"Hi, I'm Chuck." Apparently not.

"Bob."

"Bob?"

"If you can go by Chuck, I can go by Bob."

"True enough." Huh. Maybe some of these frat boys had some potential.

* * *

"Are they getting along?" Bryce commented, staring at Mozzie and Chuck.

"Mozzie does like those stupid cult movies you're always trying to get me to watch," Neal said, unsurprised.


	12. NGAI2 - Vans and Offices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _Love this series..can you do one in which Neal w/ intersect and Bryce (his handler) has to do mission w/ Chuck and Sarah.._
> 
> Notes: Not much Intersect... but have some van antics instead? NGAI a.k.a. Neal Gets an Intersect is in 'Spies vs Cons'

**NGAI2 - Vans and Offices**

* * *

Neal wasn't even looking at the screens which displayed the location where the meet was taking place. The last thing he wanted was to be watching it from inside a  **van** parked across the street.

What was the point? He could monitor the location just as carefully from the actual location, instead of from a cramped, smelly, coppery van.

"You're barely even monitoring here," Bryce scolded, almost as if he was responding to Neal unspoken complaints.

"But, it's so boring in here," Neal pointed out. "This is even worse than the FBI van. At least it isn't cramped with cords and computers which I can't even use."

"Not my fault you never learnt to hack," Bryce responded, not even taking his eyes off the screen.

"I could teach you," Chuck said, turning to give Neal a smile. Neal smiled back but shook his head.

"I'm not a computers guy," he explained, "but thank you. At least someone cares." He shot a glare at Bryce and one at Peter for good measure.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Peter finally spoke, "this is far more advanced than our van. Jones would have a field day."

"Great! Then let's call him! He can have my spot!" Neal was eager to be anywhere but here. Had Peter even noticed the Subway wrapper under the driver's seat? It probably only accounted for a small fraction of this van's smelliness and 'ew' factor.

"No can do," Peter said.

"Jones doesn't have an Intersect," Bryce added. Neal really hated the way they seemed to think along the same lines. Mozzie said it revealed something about his psych - that he grew 'attached' to Peter when Bryce dropped off the map. Neal liked to point out that he was not looking for a brother-figure in Peter, especially not an older brother since he was the older brother. By seven minutes! Those seven minutes counted! Seven minutes could mean the difference between a successful heist and prison for life.

"You have an Intersect!" Neal pointed out in irritation. "And he has an Intersect!" he added, pointing at Chuck. "The only person who doesn't have an Intersect is Peter and he's here because I'm here!"

"Hughes insisted I keep an eye on you," Peter pointed out. The more eyes on Neal, the better; especially now that he was equipped with skills far beyond an FBI agent's training.

"The more the merrier," Chuck said.

Neal sat back in his chair and sulked. He shoved the headphones over his ears and turned to scrutinise the little screen with everything he had, ignoring everyone else.

* * *

When the suspect finally turned up, three sets of voices piped up:

"Carrie Babcocke; there's an Interpol warrant out for her arrest and she was recently suspected of stealing a prototype."

"She's also a hitman and a thief; whatever you want as long as you can pay."

"She has a pet ferret," Neal drawled in a bored tone, "or had, I'm not sure if the vicious thing is still around."

Bryce and Chuck both stared at him.

"Neal," Peter stated in that scolding tone he used whenever Neal held back information.

"We were both hired to take the same thing once. For different reasons." Neal stared at the woman on the screen. She had barely changed. But, she wasn't the only person he had flashed on. Strangely enough, his flash had also pulled up information on her husband. "She's also married. Her husband, Jared Woodham is more the brains behind her operations."

"The brains?" Bryce questioned while Chuck looked excited with this new information.

"He's a hacker," Neal stated as if he wasn't talking to two skilled hackers.

Peter was also interested in this information.

"Okay, so lets see if we can figure out where he's staying," he said, calling Jones to do the legwork.

"Meanwhile, we need to get the prototype back," Bryce ordered, "it's in the briefcase." Chuck and Neal nodded in agreement, that knowledge had been supplemented by their flashes. "Sarah? You hear that?"

"I heard you," Sarah responded. On the screen, a blond woman moved to brush a strand of hair away from her face. "The woman with the black hair, right?"

"Correct." He paused for a moment and turned to Chuck. "Now we wait for Sarah to complete her part."

Neal groaned.

"Stop complaining, Neal," Peter said as he got his gun ready, following Chuck's lead. The only difference was that Chuck's gun fired darts and not bullets. They were ready to move if Sarah gave them her distress signal.

* * *

However, the mission went without a hitch for once. Sarah managed to get her hands on the prototype while Jones managed to location Jared Woodham and arrest him; the FBI Cyber Crimes division was very happy about that. And they also managed to grab Carrie Babcocke on her way back to hotel. While she didn't blab the names of her employers, the person collecting the stolen prototype was very talkative.

"Come on, we made arrests and no one got hurt," Bryce pointed out to his still-sulking brother.

Hard to believe the guy was the older one. Bryce had to see his friends off on a plane earlier and he wasn't whining or sulking.

"And now we have to fill out paperwork for the FBI and mission reports for the CIA," Neal grumbled, almost showing a fist in Bryce's eye as he stretched. Bryce managed to duck in time, silently cursing the lack of desks in the FBI office.

The FBI had shoved the two brother's together, giving Bryce a seat behind what was previously Neal's desk and was now both their desks. Because it was cramped, Bryce normally worked in the conference room, which was being used today by Hughes and Jones.

Peter's office, which was Neal's retreat away from the cramped desk, was also out-of-bounds for the two brothers while Peter fielded a conference call.

"You know what," Neal finally said, "I'm going to steal Jones' desk."


	13. HR - History and Roots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _How about this: Neal always wanted to become a cop while Bryce had other plans. When the twins turned 18, Ellen only told Neal the truth about James and he ran away because he didn't want to tell Bryce but couldn't keep the secret and lie to him either. Bryce then changed his plans and became a CIA agent. Years later, the twins are reunited and all the secrets finally come out. Maybe throw in some Ellen too (who was the only one in contact with both twins) and what she thinks about her role in the mess?_
> 
> Notes: Feels very introductory to me but, oh well. Have a little background-ish stuff.

**HR - History and Roots**

* * *

It was his eighteenth birthday and he wanted to be out with Bryce and their friends. However, Ellen said it was important and he couldn't deny her anything; not the woman who was like family to him. Except, he couldn't help feeling some form of dread as he knocked on her door. Ellen had been acting strangely ever since he told her that he wanted to be a cop.

Maybe she was going to tell him why?

* * *

Bryce wanted to make computer games. Even though his teachers told him it wasn't a viable career path and that it would be a waste of his intelligence if he didn't aim higher.

Neal thought it was a cool idea. He told him that 'if they don't think you can make it, then doesn't it mean that it's a good challenge? Hardly a waste of smarts!'

When Bryce met Chuck, his dream shifted a little to include his new friend. They would start their own game company!

And then his twin brother, Danny Larkin, vanished. It was the day after his eighteenth birthday and Ellen called him in a panic because no one had seen him after he left her place the previous day and something about 'how stupid she had been' and how 'she shouldn't have told him'. Bryce had no idea what she was talking about and, no matter how hard he pressed, she wouldn't tell him. All he knew was that it had something to do with Danny's dream to be a cop.

Bryce tried to find his brother. Chuck even hacked the FBI for him; along with a number of other agencies and places, anything to find Danny. But, it seemed like Danny had vanished into thin air. There was no trace of him anywhere, not even leaving the country.

All Bryce's search had managed to do was catch the CIA's attention. They offered him access to greater resources for his search and a job with them.

Danny had wanted to be a cop and, in his place, Bryce accepted.

* * *

Neal had spent years unknowingly lying to the world that he couldn't do it any longer. Ellen had sworn him to secrecy regarding his father and WITSEC and he immediately realised what that meant.

She had spent years lying to them. A little moment of truth couldn't change that. It wouldn't take away the nods she gave when their mother would tell them a story about their father, the little bits she told him when he asked and the times she agreed that he was just like his father. He knew that he tended to ask and say that he was just like his father and some of those times she said it or agreed were probably to make a younger him happy but, he couldn't help but feel like a murderer now. Just like his father.

How could she expect him to keep that from his brother? From his friends?

Neal didn't want to lie, so he did the next-worse thing. He ran.

He threw Danny Larkin away and, with the marshals' help and a promise to never contact his family again, he stepped into Neal Caffrey's life.

Neal somehow secretly ended up in contact with Ellen when she moved to New York and the exchange of emergency beepers meant they would encounter each other again.

* * *

It was a few days after the marshals had moved her when the doorbell rang. Ellen pulled of her gardening gloves and smiled as she walked over to the door.

Really, it was a shame that she had to leave the city after finally getting the chance to mend things with Neal but, she had broken too many of the marshals rules. They might be more lenient on her because she had been friends with a few back in her days on the beat but everything had limits.

At least they had given her a place within Neal's two-mile radius during her last few weeks in New York.

"Neal," she greeted the person on the step happily.

The raven haired, blue-eyed man on the step gave her a confused look and a tilt of his head. His expression was a calculating and curious one.

It was then she realised her mistake. For someone who was supposed to keep secrets, she was terrible at it. She had told Neal about his father and set the man on a path of crime, something she still felt guilty about although Neal had insisted that he didn't blame her.

"Bryce." Her greeting of the younger twin was more subdued because she could already feel the lies and half-truths weighing on her.

Thankfully, the man smiled and gave her a hug.

"Ellen," he greeted her, "it's been a while."

"Yes," she responded, a more than a little shocked to see him. "Forgive me if I'm wrong but your mother told me you had…  _died._ " She hadn't told Neal because she had been afraid of his reaction; that he would go even more off the rails than before. Agent Burke was working to keep her boy safe and she hadn't wanted to ruin that.

Bryce gave her a confused look for a moment before realisation dawned.

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he explained, "I was seriously injured and they couldn't find me afterwards so they just declared me 'deceased'. I was really in a special facility being healed."

Ellen realised that while what he was telling her was the truth, it was not the whole truth. There was more to this story.

"Can I come in?" he asked hesitantly, reminding her that they were still on her doorstep.

* * *

Although they denied it growing up, the twins really were alike. Maybe not in interests but they were in mannerisms. Sitting and talking with Bryce, Ellen was reminded of sitting with Neal and talking, over a month ago.

She still remembered the heavy guilt she felt. But, she couldn't let Neal become a cop, couldn't let him walk the path of danger and corruption his father did. In the end, she had pushed him on the path to become a criminal and she hated herself for it.

The guilt was lightened a little by Neal's words, he didn't blame her, but mostly by seeing the life he had now. The friends; Mozzie, El, even Agent Burke, who were willing to give everything to protect him. They could easily do what she could only attempt.

"Ellen?" Bryce's worried voice brought her back to the present. She wondered for a moment whether she should tell him. "If you want to tell me about my father, I should say I already know."

"What?" Bryce and Neal both had been good at reading people but, she hadn't expected him to say that.

"It came up at one point," Bryce explained. Ellen's eyes narrowed. There were only a few lines of work where it would even matter that his father was a crook and even fewer which were able to find out from the marshals about the boys' real past.

"Bryce. Who-"  _do you work for?_  She didn't get to finish her question as there was a knock at the door. Then a click.

"Mozzie!" Neal's voice sounded in warning as his short and bespectacled friend walked in. Ellen was fond of the quirky man who had looked after one of her surrogate sons and normally wouldn't be bothered by him unlocking her door and walking in.

But this wasn't normally. In fact, it appeared his entrance had shocked Bryce. Bryce jumped up and twisted towards the door, his hand griping the chair and ready to use it as a weapon.

Mozzie paused at the entrance.

"It's all right," Ellen said to Bryce, "he's a friend."

Bryce relaxed a little while Mozzie tensed up. He looked Bryce up and down and then turned to look at the doorway where Neal was walking in, his hat in his hand like a gentleman.

"Bryce," he breathed in shock. Ellen couldn't see Bryce's reaction but she imagined it to be similar to Neal's; blue eyes bulging a little as he gazed upon a face he saw everyday but a person he hadn't seen in ages.

"Dan…ny?" Bryce's voice hesitated, something it had never done before.

This was a mess.

It was also something that Ellen felt she couldn't intervene in. So, she told them to talk and took Mozzie out. She explained to him about the twins, even shared some stories about the little twins, while the twins in question talked.

* * *

_"You're CIA? Mozzie's going to be mad, he thought he was the one with long-lost spy relatives!"_

* * *

_"Wait! You went to prison? And then escaped from prison? How?"_


	14. HGMQ - Hugs and Games and Movies Beg Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From K on AO3:  
>  _Neal Caffrey and Morgan Grimes are best friends. Chuck and Bryce think this is a joke. It's ... really ... not._

**HGMQ - Hugs and Games and Movies Beg Questions**

* * *

Peter didn't know what to make of the short bearded man standing at the entrance to the White Collar division, looking like a kid at Christmas.

"Are you lost?" Jones was asking the stranger as he walked over. The bearded stranger didn't respond to the question as he noticed them coming. Specifically the person standing just behind Peter.

"Neal!" he greeted with a smile and wave.

"Morgan!" Neal responded just as happily and, to the shock of the agents watching, they hugged.

Now, while Neal was a very tactile person, he didn't just go around hugging people. Plus Peter was certain that most of the times he did touch people had more to do with cons and picking pockets than a need for touch.

"I can't believe you made it!" Neal was saying and Peter was dimly reminded of the teenage girl he had seen on one of El's shows.

The hug lasted for what seemed like ages before Neal let go.

"You might want to check your wallet," Jones suggested in a joking tone to Morgan.

Morgan tilted his head and stroked his beard.

"Why?" He placed a hand in his pocket and pulled out a wallet attached to a chain. Diana encouraged him to check it and all the notes, cards and money were still there.

Neal had hugged him and he still had his wallet and cash?

The agents shared bewildered glances before all turning to Peter; like he could explain this? He looked over at Diana, who had memorised the name on the license when she asked Morgan to check her wallet.

They were going to check out this 'Morgan Grimes' the first chance they got.

* * *

Bryce looked over the group gathered and noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Morgan?" he questioned. While he was okay with the shorter guy not being there, if Chuck was going through a bad patch with his other friend then that could get them in trouble.

"New York," Casey grunted, not amused. Chuck had to call him in to get the Buy More morons under control.

"He's using his vacation days to visit a friend," Sarah said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

It was, for anyone except Morgan Grimes. The guy only made friends with people he saw often and Chuck.

Even Chuck looked confused.

"I don't know anyone in New York," he mused, trying to think who Morgan might be friends with. Jeff and Lester were still on tour as 'Jeffster' but they were out of the country. Alex hadn't gone anywhere and knew about Morgan's trip, if not the reason behind it.

"Let's just hack the little guy's email," Casey suggested.

They did. It didn't help. Whomever he was visiting insisted on codenames and used untraceable email accounts.

It was worrying. They knew that Morgan was visiting someone; this 'Dino' to Morgan's 'Skywalker' and both Chuck and Bryce winced at that choice of codename, but they didn't know where.

"Wow, there are some well-planned heists in here," Sarah mused as she scrolled through the emails. As the daughter of a skilled conman, she couldn't hide the impressed tone in her voice. "Of course, there are a lot of ridiculous ones, like these various 'how to steal a coworker's lunch' ones and the ones on planting office supplies in random places to drive people crazy."

"That's why I keep finding paperclips in my coffee cups," Casey commented with an annoyed grunt of realisation. Sarah gave him a look that said she wasn't finished so he didn't add what he was planning to do to the bearded gnome.

"But, like I said, there are some really well-planned heists here. Whoever this 'Dino' is, they've found all the weak-points in the Buy More's security, not to mention the security of places like the Louve."

Bryce ran a hand through his head. This sounded bad. What was Morgan up to?

"There's also an argument on who's better, Batman or Superman." Sarah wasn't as impressed with that fact.

"Batman," Chuck and Bryce both answered at once.

"Well, 'Dino' reckons Superman," Casey informed them with a smirk. He didn't understand why it mattered but, knew that it would annoy them both.

Bryce frowned and started reading some of Dino's arguments. The guy was logical, annoying and familiar. Bryce was certain he had heard some of these points before.

And then Chuck's phone rang, stopping all discussion of who Morgan was visiting.

"Hello? Uh, yes, this is Chuck Bartowski. What? Morgan Grimes? Yes, I know him. Why do you ask? I'm sorry, who?" Chuck's face went slack as the person on the other end introduced himself again. 'Special Agent Peter Burke, FBI' was not something he wanted to hear in connection to his best friend. "May I ask why you're calling?" The agent said that Morgan wasn't in trouble, yet, but asked what his connection to his CI was.

"Okay, so important phone call," Sarah pointed out to Bryce, who nodded along with her deduction. Chuck glanced over at Bryce before he spoke again.

"Uh, yes. I know who you're talking about. But, I don't know why Morgan would be with him. I'm sure it's not bad!" he added quickly. He listened to a little more to the agent, who sounded frayed by recent events, before asking one little question. "Um, your CI wouldn't happen to use the name 'Dino' at all?" He listened to the confused answer and then hung up.

"So?" Casey asked.

"Well, I think I know who 'Dino' is and who Morgan is visiting," Chuck informed them, sounding baffled. "That was an FBI agent, calling about Morgan who walked into his office and was hugged by his CI; Neal Caffrey."

"Neal?" Bryce questioned in surprise, "hugged Morgan?"

"Neal Caffrey?" Sarah questioned, "the conman? Isn't he in prison?"

"He only got four years," Bryce pointed out, "they should have been up over two years ago, although, what's he doing with the FBI?"

"Oh, apparently he made a deal with them to get out of prison," Chuck said, having hacked the FBI while they were talking. "He broke out of prison and got four more years."

"He what?" Bryce hissed, "I'm going to kill him."

"I really hope you don't mean that literally," Chuck sighed.

"And if he tricked Morgan into doing some kind crime, then-"

"Best not to make promises you can't keep," Chuck interrupted.

Sarah was looking curiously at Bryce.

"I never thought you were the vindictive type." Casey made an agreeing grunt, although he liked Larkin's new attitude.

And Chuck said a sentence which surprised them both;

"Only when it comes to his brother."

* * *

Morgan's hands flinched and twitched but he concentrated on his movements. He paused and picked out a card from the deck in his hands and placed it on the table.

"Is this your card?" he asked Neal.

Neal looked at the five of clubs with a smirk.

"Nope."

"Curses." Morgan flicked his wrist and tried to shuffle the way he had seen Neal do it earlier but the cards bent and sprang. Cards flung and dropped everywhere. One whipped his face hard enough that it felt like it was bleeding.

Neal laughed at Morgan's forlorn look and reached out to gather up the cards. His hands flicked in skilled control as he shuffled them from hand to hand, sometimes popping one up into the air and catching in back in the deck.

Morgan watched with slight jealously and the amusement of a man-child.

"So cool," he said in awe.

"Yep," Neal agreed casually. He enjoyed showing off his skills to Morgan. Morgan was one of the first people who never saw the cons he could pull with such skills or the deceit involved. He didn't get grumpy or tell him to act his own age.

Morgan let Neal be Neal, not 'Neal Caffrey'. And for some reason Neal could never figure out, actually enjoyed being friends with him.

"Okay, now we do something I can beat you at," Morgan said with a smirk, pulling up a bag. Inside was his latest game console and latest games with multiplayer options.

"Oh no," Neal groaned, slightly in jest. Morgan had a way of getting him into these games when he would otherwise ignore them. "Don't you remember the last time I played?"

Morgan gave him an evil smile and laughed. No words needed to be said.

* * *

Neal had a good mind for numbers and patterns. But, it completely paled in comparison to good-old practice and hours with a controller in his hands.

"Down, X, Y, B, B, up, B," Neal muttered under his breath as he tried to match up the move patterns to the buttons and then the actions the character was executing. "Down, down! What! No!" He spluttered in surprise as Morgan's character hit his and the match was decided. "Why didn't it work?"

"Were you holding down another button?" Morgan asked with the grace of a expert teaching a novice.

Neal gave him an amused frown and displayed his hand. Button indentations featured on his thumb.

"I'm always pressing down buttons," he explained. This was not an area where he excelled.

Morgan explained why it didn't work and smiled at his friend. This was great! Chuck was a challenge but Neal just liked to play. They had made a game of it where Morgan would teach Neal how to play a new game and Neal would pick apart the mechanics and then they would amuse each other later with tricks they could add to increase their chances of winning.

They had different interests, sure, but it worked. After all, Neal was the only person who would talk Morgan through a hypothetical heist of the Buy More. Although, considering events of the past few years, Morgan still held the belief that he would get the chance to use their heists. Neal treated him like a colleague, without all the messy prank wars and competitions which often broke out among the Buy More staff.

And while this weekend had mostly been his idea, Neal had totally gotten into it, even letting him meet him at the FBI. Morgan was still overjoyed about that; even if the rest of the team wouldn't think it cool just because they didn't like the FBI.

"Want to watch Tiles of Fire later?" Neal asked, "Mozzie gave me the whole series and I could use your translation of it."

"Huh? I don't know Chinese?" Morgan questioned in surprise, although he loved the idea. He had seen the Tiles of Fire series three times since high school: once during, once afterwards when he was trying to get used to Chuck being at Stanford and then the last time had been after Chuck came back from Stanford after being expelled.

"I meant the other kind of translation," Neal clarified. And Morgan realised what he meant. Neal had asked him to 'translate' what the point was of a number of movies, because he just didn't get them. The last one had been the Super Mario Brothers movie, which he had followed up with an introduction to the games.

"Awesome," Morgan said, pausing the game. "Can we get pizza or something too?"

"June might be able to arrange some snacks," Neal mused.

"Yes!" Morgan cheered with a fist punch to the air. Neal was awesome!

* * *

When Morgan walked into the Buy More after his New York holiday, he was immediately bagged and carried down into the secret spy-base.

Once the bag was removed, he was surrounded by three curious faces and Casey.

"What did you do?" Bryce demanded to know. "Better yet, what did Neal have you do?"

"Huh?" Morgan questioned, glancing around and trying to get his bearings. It looked like they put him in the interrogation room. "Nothing."

"That's a suspicious answer if I ever heard one," Chuck said.

"But, I mean it!" Morgan wondered if they were really doing this; questioning him on his friend! "We're friends! We hung out! I stayed in his apartment!"

They all shared glances.

"I think he's telling the truth," Sarah concluded.

"No way," Bryce said, "how would Morgan even end up friends with Neal anyway?"

"I went to Stanford after you got Chuck kicked out," Morgan stated. "Met Neal outside your place, he was looking for you because he hadn't heard from you in a while. We talked and became friends." Part of that was true. Morgan had lashed out at Neal, thinking he was Bryce and it took Neal ages to convince him that he wasn't. Then they talked.

"How did you even get to Stanford?" Chuck questioned.

"I had my mum drive me," Morgan said, as if it was obvious. He was met with a bunch of baffled looks.

"That's actually more plausible than you being friends with Neal," Bryce pointed out.


	15. TRIAA2 – Another Tri-Agency Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From K on AO3:  
>  _A continuation of a "CH23-TRIAA" of CIs vs Agents, please._
> 
> Notes: This is a short one. Had a few internet problems the past few days, which should be solved now as we (finally) replaced our modem. But it did cut into writing time... Anyway, this story takes place in Season 2 of White Collar and Season 4 of Chuck. Bryce's death at the end of Season 2 was stages and Chuck and the team know this.

**TRIAA2 – Another Tri-Agency Alliance**

* * *

Peter never thought he would be working in a joint NSA-FBI project. A top secret, highest clearance NSA-FBI project complete with enough non-disclosure agreements to flood his office.

The office thought it was a funny joke, a way Peter said he cared and while it was, it was also the truth: Neal dying on the job would generate a lot of paperwork.

At first, he was placed within the FBI in order to find and protect Kate, who was a material witness who also claimed to hold information which would see 'a very powerful man' live out the rest of his life in prison. Neal really should have gotten the details because when she went missing, so did their information. Including the name.

Then Kate died and Neal was given a few months off from the NSA to recover. During this time, Peter managed to get the FBI to okay another deal with 'Neal Caffrey' and Neal managed to launch a search for Kate's killer. Peter wondered if the NSA ever officially welcomed him back because Neal's stint with the FBI wasn't stopped and nor was the large amount of paperwork which accompanied his not-quite orthodox CI.

The night he gave Neal informal immunity for his story about Vincent Adler, although Neal told him the whole story like it was a con, Peter finally had an opportunity to ask.

"You should know better than to just state my previous employers like that," Neal commented, taking a sip of his wine as he thought about how best to answer the question. "I'm still with the NSA, just not in asset protection. My work with Kate didn't exactly inspire confidence in me. What I do now is confidential."

"Come on Neal," Peter said in a tone close to whining, "I signed all the non-disclosure agreements."

"I select teams and co-ordinate missions." Neal smirked into his cup and Peter had a feeling there was something else behind Neal's statement.

"What?"

"How would you like to join a select NSA-CIA taskforce for a weekend?"

"What?" Peter was surprised.

"Well, they need someone who they can trust and who knows the FBI. I thought you would be good but didn't know how to ask."

"What!" Now he was shocked.

Neal didn't even pause at his gaping expression. "So, what do you say?"

"You're seriously asking me this?"

"Of course."

"How much have you had?" Peter gave the bottle of wine a pointed look.

"Not as much as you."

* * *

Peter ended up agreeing. Neal had asked again the next day with a note -threat- taped to his coffee cup.

'One weekend? Or I could put salt in your coffee'

Needless to say, Peter took a tentative first sip of his coffee and carefully tasted it. No sign of salt but he didn't think he could do that for every coffee, especially if Neal went through with his threat.

"Boss, you okay?" Diana asked when he sighed.

"Ask me in a week," he said. He didn't tell Elizabeth much beyond it was a business trip.

Neal didn't tell him anything beyond 'you'll know them when you see them'. Peter didn't know how that could be true until he landed.

"I hate it when he's right," Peter grumbled as he spotted Bryce Larkin standing in the crowd as he stepped off the plane.

"Agent Burke!" Bryce greeted with a nod and a smaller smile than what Neal usually gave him. It was just as fake though.

* * *

"This is Chuck." A mousey brown hair man whose hair curled atop his head and who fidgeted constantly. "Casey." Casey sneered and sniffed at him and Peter didn't miss the holster strapped to the man's ankle. "And Sarah." Sarah was the only who looked normal with long blond hair and a business-like expression on her face. "Guys, this is Peter. He tried to arrest me once."

"That's not what happened," Peter pointed out. He wondered just how he would survive this weekend.

* * *

Peter was not used to crazy, all-dressed in black ninjas who tried to steal stuffed toys. Sure, the stuffed teddy bear had a prototype chip inside it but he just didn't know how to process a ninja dropping from the ceiling and demanding the bear.

Or how to process computer repairmen who were suddenly able to match said crazy ninja, move-for-move. Where had Chuck learnt those flips?

* * *

When Elizabeth asked him what happened Sunday night, he just sighed, flopped onto the couch, asked for a beer and told her that she wouldn't believe him if he told her. She told him to have a little more faith in her so he told her. It meant explaining that Neal wasn't really Neal and that he had a twin brother named Bryce, who was supposed to be dead but no one had thought to explain that to him until he asked why Bryce wasn't the one going undercover, and about ninjas and the secret operations the government was endorsing underneath a Burbank Buy More.

"You can't spin tales like that," Elizabeth finally said when he finished, "so I guess this must have happened." He was so relieved that she believed him. "You're not accepting any more missions from Neal," she said with complete certainty. "I worry enough with just your FBI job."

Peter sunk into the cushions of the chair as Elizabeth proceeded to call Neal and tell him that he wasn't to use her husband in any more of his non-FBI jobs. Now he didn't know whether to be relieved or embarrassed.

* * *

"If I let El go too, you think she'll let you do another mission?" Neal asked on Monday as he got into Peter's car. Chuck had liked Peter and Bryce trusted Peter, which was important since he refused to work with many agents because he didn't trust them to know that he was really alive, Casey hadn't shot him and Sarah admired his quick-thinking.

"You're not inviting my wife on a dangerous joint CIA-NSA-FBI-whatever, mission."

Neal pouted in a huff.

"That's almost word-for-word what she said," he pointed out, disappointed.

"Come to dinner tonight and we'll talk about it then. El wants to hear more about your real job."


	16. SAS - Secrets and Spies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From K on AO3:  
>  _Kramer thinks Neal is a spy. Peter thinks he's insane, but Bryce isn't so sure Kramer's not right. Casey, on the other hand, knows for sure. Mozzie, as usual, is omniscient._

**Secrets and Spies**

* * *

Kramer thinks Neal is a spy. There's no other explanation for all the metaphorical road blocks and false trails he keeps encountering. He already checked out every other lead, every other possibility and everything he had found said that Neal wasn't just a crook. How else could he have gotten out of that sticky situation in Greece which no one returned his calls about?

And those rumours which took Kramer months to track down, rumours of Neal meeting with arms dealers and other highly unsavoury characters, how else could he explain that? Especially when the only names of said characters he could get, turned up either deceased or arrested. Mostly arrested though. The name section on the arrest warrant was a simple black censor as the name was removed for security reasons. The signature was chicken scratch. A scrawl which possessed a number of towering loops of twirls in close range. Kramer could make a D or a B or an L or three bs or a C or any letter he wanted of he was really concentrating.

Kramer brought many favours to the table but not one was able to get him the name.

* * *

Kramer didn't know but even Bryce Larkin, CIA agent, didn't have any luck. Peter had called him up, worried about Kramer.

"I think he's losing it," he whispered, "he thinks Neal's a spy. Also, you might want to do something because I think he's mixed the two of you up. What happened in Greece?"

Greece? Bryce had never had a mission in Greece. He did hear about a mission which went sideways, but that had to do with an MI6 agent messing up and their Department of Defence had to step in. General Beckman had been pleased to have MI6 owe them one, which still hadn't been repaid.

Anyway, aside from gossip around the water-cooler, Bryce had nothing to do with what happened in Greece. Now Peter thought he did because Kramer thought it had something to do with Neal.

Maybe it did. Bryce decided to call Casey.

* * *

Casey denied everything. As a paranoid little man once told him, 'admit nothing, deny everything'. He was talking about interrogations by Suits but it worked in most situations.

Like when a curious Larkin was butting in where he didn't need to. Who put him on the track of Greece anyway?

Casey did what protocol dictated. He called Neal.

"Bryce is looking into Greece."

The sigh on the other end told him that this was not welcome news. Too bad.

"First Kramer, now Bryce? This is ridiculous," Neal grumbled. "If I put up any more walls or cover ups, they'll start getting even more suspicious. Especially since Kramer knows that I know that he's looking into it."

"Not my problem."

"You know, you could be a little bit sympathetic."

"I could always shoot Kramer. That'll solve all your problems."

"Uh... no. No, it wouldn't."

"I could... send you a Beastmaster?"

"A what?"

"The barbecue. You can pay on arrival."

"'Pay on arrival'? I thought it was a gift?"

"No."

"I don't want it."

"Get Mozart to help. He's good at getting the FBI to chase their tail. Should work on Larkin too."

Neal paused. While it meant a lecture from Mozzie about 'letting the man get too close' and 'don't play with the Feds', it was a good idea.

* * *

Mozzie never lectured with wine in his hands. It undermined the validity of his words if that recipient thought he was drunk. Image is everything. Which is why he couldn't let Neal Caffrey's image as one of the greatest conmen of their modern times go down without a fight.

Neal never outright told Mozzie that he wasn't really Neal, even though his birth certificate stated as such. Mozzie wasn't really Teddy Winters, even though his birth certificate stated as such. Mozzie was Mozzie and a hundred other people.

And Mozzie could tell when he was facing another of his kind. Strip it all down and they were all conmen in the end.

"It's child's play to stop Kramer's digging," he mused after a few hours, "Bryce will be harder."

"Really? Because Kramer started this whole mess."

"Let the Suit leak to Super-Suit the existence of your twin. As for said twin, we just need to convince him, and Super-Suit I guess, that you were somewhere else when what happened in Greece, happened."

"You never did tell me how you found out about that."

Mozzie gave Neal a look that basically said that he knew everything and not to question his methods.

"How would you like to be in London? Crown Jewels maybe?"

"The Crown does owe me a favour..." Neal smiled.

"Good. Now let's talk though this and maybe get a good copy of the Crown Jewels going. We'll leak it to the market over the next few weeks, right where Kramer will find them."

"And what Kramer knows, Bryce will know." Neal's smile became a full smirk. Oh, this was going to be fun.


	17. ICB - Ice Cream Bandits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on fanfiction.net:  
>  _Could you do a story where Bryce is staying at Neal's place for whatever reason and the twins just are trying to go out and get ice cream or something. Going to the store sets off a whole mess (something happens like there's a robbery, Mozzie or Peter find them, Neal's anklet breaks, whatever) and instead of being upset, the twins are just frustrated. Like; "We just wanted ice cream, man."_
> 
> _Cute twin story, please?_

**Ice Cream Bandits**

* * *

The FBI stormed the building. They found their 'escaped' felon, a man who looked exactly like him and a gang of unconscious criminals at their feet.

Behind the counter, a woman dressed in a white apron was shaking in terror and they quickly had her escorted out into the waiting ambulance to be treated for shock.

"Okay. One of you needs to introduce himself and I need to know what happened," Peter said.

"We just wanted ice cream," the one who wasn't Neal said, or so he assumed, tugging at his black leather jacket.

"Who robs an ice cream parlour anyway?" Neal added in a grumble. "What idiots."

"It'd be faster just to pull the security tapes," Diana advised Peter, "and run both of their fingerprints."

"Wow, beautiful and clever," the not-Neal commented with a blinding smile. "You must be an accomplished agent."

Diana's eyes narrowed because his tone told her that he was flirting with her. It was the same annoying tone Neal's voice took when they first met.

"Yeah. Her girlfriend is very proud," Peter said, not at all thrilled. He had two Caffreys, needed to get a new tracker on his Caffrey and a gang of serial thieves to hand over to NYPD.

Not-Neal's eyes widened in surprise while Neal snickered.

"I should probably apologise to your girlfriend then," he muttered with a frown. He then turned to Peter. "Agent Burke? Nice to meet you, I'm Bryce."

"Bryce?" Peter questioned with a raised eyebrow, staring at the offered hand.

"Yep, Bryce." The not-Neal said. A moment of silence past. "Um... on my planet, this is called a handshake?" _(1)_

"What?" Peter didn't miss Jones' snicker or Neal's face-palm.

"The hand," Bryce clarified, "you take it and shake it. It's a greeting."

"I know what a handshake is!" Peter responded, turning to Neal with a 'is this guy for real?' glare.

"Sorry," Neal said, "Bryce would really like to end this quickly so we can get ice cream."

"You'll be waiting a while anyway," Jones pointed out, "there was only one employee working, which is probably why they hit it at this time, and we'll be shutting it down for evidence gathering."

"What?" the twins said in scandalised voices. "But we wanted ice cream!"

"And I wanted a night off," Diana grumbled back, "but then someone went and got himself caught up in some lame robbery."

"There's a fast food place down the street that does ice cream," Jones pointed out, "just go there."

"But this place makes the best," Bryce stated, "and fast food ice cream? Really?"

"Great," Peter muttered, "he has Neal's tastes."

"Only when it comes to ice cream," Bryce said. He shifted a little and Peter thought the movements were familiar. It was the movement of someone used to carrying a gun but, he didn't recognise that one someone who looked just like Neal.

* * *

The men stormed the ice cream parlour and held up their guns. Bryce stepped back into the shadows while Neal seemed to step forward into the light. The woman behind the counter startled and began to tremble.

A shot was fired by her head and she jumped as the men barked out orders.

Neal started to talk. Peter wondered what he was saying as the video didn't have any sound. Whatever it was, it caused one of men to grab him and expose his anklet. It was shot off in the next moment.

Bryce moved, knocking down two of the men before anyone realised he was fighting back. Neal grabbed the arms of the man in front of him and held him and Bryce executed a karate chop to his neck.

Bryce then yanked Neal to the ground and pulled up the unconscious man as a human shield as he went after the final two men. Shots were fired but they missed, the men obviously didn't want to hit their comrade, and Bryce knocked them out in moments.

It all happened in less than 15 seconds.

* * *

 

"What. The." The NYPD officer who unfortunately had been assigned to this case stated.

"Uh, I did some time overseas," Bryce said by way of explanation. His gaze was steady and they had no reason to disbelieve him, if his explanation hadn't sounded just like one of Neal's when he was trying to hide something. It was vague and allowed them to assume whatever they wanted.

The FBI didn't think to inform the NYPD of this. But, Bryce must have caught their disbelieving and thoughtful glances because he made sure to whisper to Peter that;

"You won't be able to put me in an anklet." And even though he said it low enough that no one should have been able to overhear, Neal added from behind Peter;

"He is a hacker. Won't hack my anklet though."

"You're the one who made a deal with the FBI. Tough it out." Peter found himself respecting Bryce a little more after that. Especially with the sour look it put on Neal's face.

"'Cowboy up', 'tough it out', why can't I whine and complain?" Neal muttered.

"Cowboy up, Neal," Peter told him with a wide smirk.

"I hate you all."

"They are definitely brothers," Jones commented with a smirk towards Diana. Bryce might be the only person who could get Neal to act like this. Diana had her phone out and was recording this to show the rest of the office.

Curiously, the video ended up deleted before she could show anyway. She had tech look at it but they couldn't find a cause.

* * *

_(1) I admit to stealing this line from a comic. Bryce seems like the kind of guy who would quote comics and stuff if given the chance._


	18. TBET - The Bet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: So, as this takes place in Season 1 of White Collar, I decided to make it around Season 3 of Chuck, before Shaw and after Chuck downloaded the Intersect 2.0. Bryce staged his death in the Intersect room and told Chuck after it all went down and before the CIA sent him off for training (he apologised for deceiving him and Chuck flashed and punched him). I probably made it too easy to break into this place too...
> 
> From Fiona12690  
>  _PROMPT: "WC Tag 1x12: Bottlenecked: In this episode we meet an old rival of Neal's, Matthew Keller, what if there was a second challenge (a job) issued to Neal other than just to re-create the rare bottle of wine owned by Ben Franklin. What would happen if Keller's second challenge required Neal to break into something more secure than the White House. His challenge (job): go undercover into a CIA Safehouse located in the basement of the Waldorf-Astoria; undetected and destroy the information they have on him. At the same time... the safehouse is occupied by Bryce and Team Bartowski who are in town on a joint mission to acquire Keller, who as it turns out is a Fulcrum Agent. Neal's challenge as he soon finds out... eliminate Chuck or someone will do it for him. What will Neal do and how will Bryce get him out of it safely. Looking for Overprotective!Bryce if its alright."_

**The Bet**

* * *

No one paid attention to the dark-haired man dressed in the white shirt and black slacks of a server wandering into the hotel. Nor did they pay attention to the smirking man who followed him moments later.

* * *

Something didn't feel right. This wasn't his bed and it wasn't his pillow and it was keeping him up. Chuck sighed and got out of bed, walking out of the small cubical-like room and down the hall to the small base of operations. Casey had told him to 'toughen up, princess' and Sarah hadn't been sympathetic either, explaining to him that a spy needed to be able to sleep anywhere.

Well, Chuck wasn't your average spy. He had the Intersect 2.0 and while it weighed heavily on his mind, he wouldn't trade it for his previous life. He couldn't win Sarah back unless he was a spy and he couldn't be a spy without the Intersect.

Chuck tapped away on the keyboard and brought up the security feeds from the hotel. The fancy hotel that the CIA wouldn't let them go up too. No, Team Bartowski had to stay downstairs in the hidden CIA safehouse.

Chuck wondered how they were supposed to find Matthew Keller from here. The CIA had reason to believe he was in New York but beyond that nothing besides what was in his files. Chuck brought the files up and read over them, again. Keller was a thief, a murder and a spy for the Ring.

"You know, I didn't call you in just to look at files," Bryce's voice suddenly sounded behind him, causing him to jump.

"I don't get why you called us in at all," Chuck grumbled.

"You have the Intersect, Chuck. That's why." Bryce sat down and brought up the cameras, pointing Chuck towards the screen as he quickly flicked through video feeds.

* * *

Neal sighed and placed his back against the wall. To anyone watching, he looked like he was just resting. Except for the fact that he didn't look directly into the cameras.

"Caffrey," Keller said to him as he walked past, "keep going." He would round back and check on him in a few moments.

Neal bit the inside of his cheek. This didn't feel right. It was completely wrong. He didn't work with Keller anymore!

Except, they had made the bet. Not the 'who could forge the Franklin Bottle' bet but the 'who can break into the Waldorf-Astoria, four star hotel basement'.

He should have known it was a trick, he didn't even realise they had a basement until Keller told him.

And he couldn't back out because;

_'There's people staying down there. If I get there first, I'll kill them. You good guys hate that, don't you?'_

Neal hated the implication. He was a good guy before the FBI and making the deal with them did not in any way change that. Then again, he didn't want people manipulating him with the lives of strangers like how Keller was.

If he could break in first and warn them. He hooked a cable from his phone to the lock and engaged a program which could break any electronic lock. It had been something he had begged his brother to make.

 _'I promise not to use it for evil!'_ Yeah, Bryce hadn't bought it. But he made it anyway, just in case.

Neal hated how he was using it to break into some kind of secure government facility.

_Oh no._

Secure  ** _CIA_**  government facility.

Bryce was going to kill him, if the agents staying here didn't beat him to it. He crept down the halls and found an outlet to plug his phone into. He scrolled down files, looking for anything with Keller's name on it.

A gun cocked behind him.

"Interesting," Keller mused. Neal closed his eyes in a 'kill me now' way but didn't say it in case Keller took it as an invitation.

"Keller, what do you want?" he asked in a low and quiet voice. "I got here first and there's no files on you. Let's just go."

He felt Keller kneel down behind him.

"That's because they've hidden them," he said in a gleeful whisper that pushed hot breath onto Neal's ear and made him want to shiver in repulsion. Keller was crazy. "We'll just have to question them."

"No," Neal said, throwing his head back and head-butting Keller in the chin. It was not a good move.

Pain! Neal stood up and towered over the kneeling and wincing Keller, trying to ignore the throbbing at the back of his head. It made him want to curl up and whimper but he needed to get away from Keller first.

"You're crazy and I'm not doing this. This was just a dare to get into some locked up place, not a chance to question or kill." And he ran. He bolted further into the safe house and wondered if he could pass off being Bryce to whomever was staying inside as the alarms began to flash and sound.

* * *

Chuck and Bryce jumped as the alarms started to sound.

"You think he found us?" Chuck questioned as Bryce's hands flew over the keys. Images of the intruders appeared on screen. Keller was standing inside the entrance, rubbing his chin and wincing in pain. Bryce smirked a little at the sight, however he hurt himself that's on him and they could find it funny. The sight of the second intruder brought his smile crashing down though.

"Neal," he gaped.

"What's Neal doing working with someone like Keller?" Chuck questioned, remembering the smiling guy who looked like Bryce who visited a few times back at Stanford. All Chuck had managed to figure out was that Neal had run away from their parents for some reason and Bryce was keeping away from his parents, using Neal's runaway as his excuse.

Neal had taught Chuck how to cheat at cards and how to tell when someone was trying to trick him.

'You look like a Schnook.' Neal had also said that it was okay; if people underestimated him, it made it easier for him to surprise them. But, he also decided to 'tutor' Chuck in the ways of the con.

"Let's find out," Bryce muttered. They moved down the hall and up a set of steps, meeting Neal on the landing.

Neal looked surprise to see them but a wide and relieved smile lit up his face.

"Bryce! And Chuck! Didn't know you were a spy too. But I guess that's not too much of a stretch since you were both roommates."

"Neal, you're rambling," Bryce said, worry starting to bubble up. Neal had been running. What if he hadn't been running inside but running away from Keller? "What's going on?"

Neal hesitated.

"Guys, there's still a homicidal bad guy breaking in," Chuck pointed out, "maybe we can talk further inside?"

Bryce nodded and started moving down the steps, with Neal right behind him. Neal rattled off the events and emotional extortion which led to him breaking into a secure CIA base.

"And really, why aren't you guys upstairs in one of the rooms?" he huffed.

"I asked that too," Chuck commented.

"Because someone would notice what we were doing," Bryce pointed out with a glare at Chuck. He really should know that by now.

"What's going on?" Sarah questioned when they came back into the centre of the base.

"Who do we get to shoot?" Casey asked, cocking a large gun.

Neal flinched and Bryce realised that he had forgotten about his brother's aversion to guns.

"Keller's broken in," Bryce said, pulling out his own weapon and stepping to shield Neal with his body. He didn't need Casey getting trigger happy, unless it was towards Keller.

"That makes things easier," Casey commented, as happy as Casey could be.

"Are we compromised?" Sarah asked.

"I don't think so," Bryce responded. Otherwise, Keller wouldn't have chosen Neal to break in. "Only this location is burned. And Casey, I get first dibs."

Neal flinched as Keller went down after three hits. Bryce didn't hold back a bit against the blue collar criminal. Strangely enough, none of the other agents questioned his ruthlessness.

Casey made an approving grunt as he hauled Keller up by the collar and dragged him down to where the cells were.

"Nice," Chuck commented with a smile.

"He deserved it," Bryce muttered in distaste.

"I don't approve of beating someone unconscious," Neal pointed out with a frown. He crossed his arms and glared at his twin.

"He deserved it," Bryce repeated.

"He knocked him out, nothing more," Sarah explained in a reasonable tone. "It's acceptable."

Neal decided that he did not like the CIA one bit.

"You have the worst taste in jobs," he said to Bryce. Bryce just shrugged.


	19. TT2 – Beware Family Get Togethers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest:  
>  _Great chapter you should do a sequel to it where the white collar team finds out about them_
> 
> Notes: Okay, this is a crazy little story and I've taken a lot of liberties with it. I just really wanted to do something with a little crazy and family interaction things. Just a reminder: Neal is referred to as both Neal and Danny.  
> Also, on a more personal note; I've gone and injured myself in an accident and torn skin off part of the palms of my hands – it makes typing painful after a while. Updates might be a slower while I heal.

**TT2 – Beware Family Get Togethers**

* * *

El stared. She stared and stared.

The dark haired man standing before her crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. It was like watching Neal play Peter but this guy held more of an air of danger.

Too bad for him, El wasn't faint of heart.

"You don't need a large auditorium," she informed him. "Especially not if you're only inviting your family."

"Well, there's Ellen and mum and step-dad," Finley ticked off on his fingers. "The marshals will be watching over Ellen and step-dad will insist on feeding them at the very least. My ex-wife and soon to be wife again, her brother and his husband. Bryce, Bryce's little friends; Sarah, Chuck and Casey, I think he's even bringing Morgan and his girlfriend. How did that little gnome even get a girlfriend in the first place? Chuck's mother is also coming, something about meeting Bryce's family and make sure he's safe to keep around her son. Anyway, Neal's bringing Sara, I don't know how he's convincing her to come to this, and Mozzie will pop in and out as he always does. Neal even brought up letting Jones and Diana come, he assumes you'll bring Peter, but we vetoed that because they're FBI-"

"And what's wrong with being FBI?" El questioned with a glare. Finley sighed, why did he have to get stuck with the event planner? He wasn't even the one who picked her.

"Look, you and your husband got the okay but this isn't your average get-together."

The glare didn't subside.

"Look, here's what I suggest," she said, listing off some smaller venues and showing him pictures. Finley listened and as he listened he realised that she had a point.

* * *

The entire White Collar office looked up as Agent Burke's wife walked through the door and right up to Neal's desk. They exchanged a few pleasantries until El handed Neal a folder. Neal looked over it for a moment in suspicion and then sighed with relief.

"That'll be fine," he said, passing the folder back to her. He really thought Finley would go crazy since Danny was footing the bill but making him do all the work. It appeared suggesting Burke events had been good for keeping his wallet happy.

"And you'll be going right?" El prodded.

"Of course," Neal said in an offended tone, "I wouldn't miss this!"

* * *

The annual Larkin gathering was a time for family and friends of the family to get together and share stories of the past year. The tradition had only been going for a few years, in fact it coincided with the creation of a certain co-ops team between the CIA, NSA and a secret organisation.

Danny was still slightly annoyed that his brothers had seen fit to tell their parents that he was okay and 'fighting the good fight'; Bryce was corny.

"Why am I here?" Peter sighed as El handed his a champagne glass.

"Because Neal wanted you to be here," El responded.

"Danny," Neal corrected as he mused over the appetisers spread out over the tables.

"Right, Danny."

"How does that work?" Peter questioned Danny with a raised eyebrow.

"You signed the non-disclosure agreements?" Danny smirked.

"No."

"Then I won't tell you. Besides, you're meeting my family, I thought this would be heaven for you."

"This is the best party of the year," Mozzie pointed out, appearing dressed as part of the wait staff.

Peter gave him a quizzical look.

"The people here all know the secrets," Mozzie whispered to him, "and they're not afraid to talk here. So many government secrets!" Mozzie smiled like he was in heaven. He had already overheard that one of the agents had a computer stuck in his head and he wanted to learn more about that. How does one get a computer stuck in their head anyway? He couldn't wait to find out.

"Nice to see you, Moz," Danny said, raising his glass in salute. This would probably be the only time he would interact with his friend, Mozzie had more pressing matters to deal with during this party.

Peter was not impressed. He wondered what this was all about. Neal had already introduced him to his parents, the only people not carrying guns excluding Neal and some other guy named Chuck, but no one else.

"Hi, I'm Chuck." Think of the devil.

"Peter Burke," Peter responded, eyeing the dark haired man suspiciously. He looked innocent enough but Peter had seen him call the dark haired, looks like a spy decked in that long leather jacket, woman with a gun 'mum'.

"You work with Danny right?" Chuck said with a smile.

Peter nodded.

"We're going to beat you, FBI," Casey growled with a smirk as he suddenly appeared behind Chuck.

"Beat me?" Peter questioned. He was suddenly glad that Neal had told him to bring his gun. He would have felt less safe without it.

Although the thought of having to use it was not a comforting one.

"Yeah. If tre-Larkin would let any of them past duo-Larkin's security," Casey grumbled.

Peter nodded as if he was interested and then turned to Neal, just in time to spot Bryce walking over to them.

"How many have we got so far?" Neal asked Bryce and Peter, Casey and Chuck were grateful for the name-tags the triplets were wearing.

Bryce smirked and pulled up the sleeve of his tux, revealing a wrist computer modelled off Orion's. He tapped and swiped at the screen for a few moments.

"Thirteen," he announced, "they've all been caught by Danny's security."

Neal smirked and Finley frowned. The security features which worked the best would be reviewed for the pentagon and other high security locations.

"Can't you let one by?" he grumbled.

Neal pretended to muse on that for a moment. He was the security consultant for this event, the person who picked all the security features. No one could get in without his 'okay', they all knew that.

Neal check his watched and nodded to Bryce. Bryce was the one who monitored everything.

"Aw, yeah!" Finley commented.

"I don't like the sound of this," Peter said to Neal. He turned to his wife who shrugged, telling him that she had no idea what was going on.

"Oh, trust me, this is right up your alley," Neal said.

"Alright, incoming," Bryce said, still fiddling with his wrist computer. Neal watched over his shoulder.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Colin Brant," Bryce responded.

"Better known as 'Brant the Blaster'," Chuck narrated, "he is supposed to be in prison in France after he was arrested for the destruction of a public monument. Considered very dangerous but refused psychiatric help."

"Whose is he?" Casey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Finley's," Neal and Bryce announced as one. Finley was smirking.

"I remember him. It was a good weekend."

"Only you could call capturing a flame-wielding arsonist-slash-terrorist over your weekend, fun," Bryce dead-panned. He really should have let Tommy Delgado through instead of letting him be arrested and returned to his cell. He would have preferred one of his to one of Finley's.

"Too late now," Neal said as if he read his thoughts. Then he raised his voice to order everyone away from the middle of the room.

Emotions spiked as those attending realised what was about to happen. The two marshals accompanying Ellen, discretely moved her out of the hall. The parents of the triplets ducked behind the people they were talking too.

"Every time we throw one of these things, criminals try and break in and put an end to us," Finley explained to Peter.

"At some point, it turned into a game," Neal sighed.

"Incoming in three, two," Bryce's statement of 'one' was drowned out by the shattering of glass and a man dropping down a rope from the skylight.

"Behold, unworthy ones! Look upon the face of your doom!" Brant cried out as he dropped. He stood tall and held out his custom made flamethrower.

"Is he serious?" El questioned in disbelief. It was a crazy idea for a criminal to act so showy.

"Finley always gets the crazy ones," Neal said.

"I donno," Finley disagreed, "Wilkes is pretty crazy too."

Neal blanched and nodded in agreement.

* * *

In the centre of the room, Brant suddenly found a number of guns pointed at him. Numerous synchronised cries of "freeze!" and "federal agents!" rang out. Suddenly, this didn't seem like a good idea; the guy had no idea until now that he had stepped into a trap. He held his weapon up, took a good look around and fired. People jumped out of the way of the flame as he bolted for the door.

Finley ran after him, making hand motions to his friends to follow.

Bryce pulled out an earbud and placed it in his ear. He pulled up his wrist computer and hacked into the security cameras.

"Okay, Sarah, he's heading down hall H, towards hall G. Casey, if you go down the hallway between corridor one and two and duck a left through the second door, you should reach backstage of hall G before Brant." Pause. "Oh, Frost. You joining in too? Okay."

"So, what are you going to do?" El asked Neal with a wide smile on her face. Despite the crazy criminal, who was on the run now and not a threat, she was having fun. Besides, it was hard to feel unsafe when almost everyone attending appeared to be a federal agent.

Meanwhile, Peter's brain had shut down. He missed Neal calling his name until the hand waved in his face.

"Peter! Help me answer El's question," Neal said.

"What?"

"See, Bryce is CIA, Finley's NSA," which made it odd that Casey decided to work with Bryce but he figured Casey trusted Bryce more than Finley or something, "and we're going to win with the FBI."

Peter rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Well, aren't Diana and Jones watching from a van outside?" Neal questioned in an innocent tone with a little innocent head-tilt. "Because you don't trust me and all that."

"I think I trust your family less than you now," Peter grumbled.

"Finley did what? That's not fair!" Bryce grumbled into his earbud. "Have Chuck take his men out with the Intersect, no bullets. Sarah, you stay with Casey. Chuck'll be fine."

"Call Diana and Jones. I'd place a bet on Brant heading up the D hall stairs and towards the roof."

Peter sighed and pulled out his phone.

"I was wondering when you'd call, boss," Diana said. "What's going on in there? All we know is that security have bordered off all the exits and aren't letting anyone inside."

"You don't want to know," Peter muttered but he explained that there was a criminal on the loose and a bunch of federal agents after him.

"That's great and all, but how do we get in?" Jones asked and Peter realised he was on speakerphone.

Peter gave Neal a questioning glance. Neal only had one thing to say to that.

"Mozzie."

At that moment, outside, there was a knock on an unmarked van.

"Let's move Demi-Suits."

* * *

With Mozzie's assistance, Jones and Diana were the ones to arrest Brant. It was the first FBI win, even though a few others complained that they didn't even know they were playing.

Neal invited them to stay for the rest of the party and introduced them to his family.


	20. BDNGW - Bad Days Need Good Waffles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest:  
>  _Do you think you could do one where Neal is moping all day long at the office, then when Peter gets angry at him, he finds out his twin just died and feels terrible? Bonus points for Chuck staying at Neal's apartment for a while because he's too upset. Sorry if this is too specific... :)_

**BDNGW - Bad Days Need Good Waffles**

* * *

Peter underestimated Neal. He underestimated Neal's ability to control a room just by being in it. Until now, Neal joked and laughed and kept the office cheerful. But now, he was moping at his desk in the corner and bringing down the whole office.

Neal radiated an aura of misery. His shoulders were slumped, his hat was missing and his eyes were downcast. He was lethargic and spent most of his time slowly fiddling with a pen.

And it was catching. Work was going slow and no one was talking. As he walked over to Neal, all Peter could hear was the slow tap, tap, tap of keys and a few coughs and shuffles.

"Neal."

Neal ignored him, blue eyes focused on some invisible spot on his desk.

"Neal." A little louder this time.

Neal's pen dropped from where he was trying to balance it on its tip and fell to the ground. Neal finally looked up to see Peter standing there, hands on hips and giving off the full 'I'm-FBI' vibe.

He tilted his head as if saying, 'what?'. It was a small movement which gave the impression of a whisper.

"Neal, how much work have you done today?" Peter asked.

Neal blinked and shrugged. Peter grabbed the monitor and tilted it so he could see it. It was off.

"Have you done any work today?" he demanded to know, frustration growing. He gave Neal a chance and here he was wasting it! And there was that blank look which Peter read as 'I don't want to be here'. "Neal, this is not a holiday! Get your head out of the clouds and realise that work is not an option! We work to get paid and make the world a better place and you work to stay out of prison!" Peter paused and took a deep breath. No, he was not overreacting however, yelling at Neal in front of the rest of the White Collar division would not improve things.

Neal didn't respond beyond nodding to show that he understood and picking his pen up.

"What is wrong with you today?" Peter questioned, the words bursting out before he could stop them.

Neal froze.

"I... uh," he muttered, head low. He added something like, "get it together, you're supposed to be the best conman," under his breath. Yet, all he could come up with was a clipped, "nothing."

"Neal." A strong tone in Peter's voice usually got Neal to at least give him some clue.

Neal swallowed.

"I think I need the day off," he said, running his hand through his hair. "Do I get sick days?"

Peter frowned. Neal didn't look sick but his actions said that something was up.

"Fine. Today only," he responded, "and I'm taking you home." Neal didn't even bat an eyelid so Peter deduced that whatever he was planning didn't involve June's.

* * *

Neal was silent in the car and silent as he walked up the stairs to his apartment. Peter didn't know whether to be suspicious or worried. He went for a little of both with increasing worry or suspicion in reaction to whatever Neal was doing or saying. As they walked, he was worried but as soon as he asked Peter to 'go back to work, those mortgage fraud cases won't solve themselves,' his suspicion increased.

"Open the door, Neal," Peter ordered with a frown. A flash of something crossed Neal's face, Peter was slightly worried about that because Neal didn't show any emotions unless he wanted too.

"Neal?" A male voice, most certainly not June's, questioned as the door opened. A tall brunette stood there. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked just as, if not more, miserable as Neal did.

"Hey Chuck," Neal said in a dull voice.

"What's going on?" Peter asked.

"You are Peter Burke, FBI agent and Neal's handler?" Chuck said, almost like he knew the answer for certain.

Peter nodded.

"I'm a friend of Neal's brother." Peter's jaw dropped a bit. He didn't know that Neal had a brother.

"Neal has a brother?"

"Had," Neal corrected in a hard voice. Peter realised in that moment. He felt really stupid for not even considering that something like this could happen to Neal. Somehow, Neal had seemed just like the untouchable conman who nothing bad could happen to. Peter turned to Chuck for confirmation.

Chuck nodded sadly.

"I've been watching over him. Mozzie's really worried about him but isn't willing to stay here when 'the Suit visits regularly'. He can't risk it, I guess?" Chuck didn't sound too certain of it, like he would risk it to provide comfort to his friends.

"Mozzie cares in his own way," Neal pointed out, "like calling in reinforcements."

"Don't let him hear you say it like that," Chuck warned with a weak laugh. "And come in, you look like you're about to collapse."

Neal sighed and walked inside, Chuck guiding him to the table. Peter followed, curious and feeling like an outsider.

"Agent Burke, would you like a waffle?" Chuck asked, from the kitchen. Peter felt slightly dirty under his honest gaze which seemed to only think about making others comfortable.

All Peter had done was chew Neal out in front of the whole office. He didn't feel very deserving of waffles.

"I'll make you one anyway," Chuck announced when he didn't respond. "This batter makes too much for just me and Neal anyway."

"Um," Peter hesitated, glancing to Neal. Neal was just staring out the windows. He turned back to Chuck who was spooning batter into a waffle iron. He wasn't smiling but he was standing tall.

Peter hadn't thought such a skinny guy could look strong but somehow Chuck did. He had a quiet confidence which he held for Neal's sake.

"So, Neal's brother?" Peter questioned, unsure what to ask or whether it would be okay.

"His name is Bryce," Chuck informed him, "he died in a work-related accident two days ago. We were unable to get the news to Neal until late last night." Mozzie had pointed at him and ordered him to 'stay', since he was the stupid agent of the man who brought the news. "Neal's a well-kept secret of Bryce's. He didn't tell many people about him. There was me and his ex-girlfriend, who was glad she was told something but figures Bryce only told her because her father and Neal work in the same field. Sort of."

Peter just nodded and let the man talk. He told him about how he and Bryce met, how Bryce got him kicked out of Stanford, 'all for a good reason, of course, not that I knew that at the time', how Bryce sent him an email and got him a job years later, and how that same job got Bryce killed.

And Bryce was Neal's twin. Peter guessed that explained why Neal seemed to pale whenever he looked at his reflection. He mentally cursed; Neal hadn't done anything worthy of this kind of karmic retribution.

It didn't sound shifty when Chuck said it but he didn't mention where he worked or what his job involved. With Neal sitting before him and actually beginning to give input to Chuck's stories, Peter didn't want to question it in case Neal went back to staring out the window.

Also, Chuck made great waffles which Peter would never tell his wife about because the guy loaded them up with ice-cream, sprinkles and caramel sauce before Peter could say no.

Peter ate his waffles and then left. His parting words to Neal were that he would see how he was feeling the next morning before deciding whether to go to work. He whispered some parting instructions to Chuck before going;

"You better be here tomorrow because he's going to tell me he's fine when he's not."


	21. KUWC2 – A Two Part Story Starring Mozzie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From LaraBenicio on AO3, Spies vs Cons (KUWC - Keeping up with the Caffreys):  
>  _ohhhh really hope there is a sequel to this one, when Mozzie feels guilt becuase "Bryce" died!_
> 
> Notes: This one is a sequel to a Spies vs Cons story, so you might like to go back and (re)read it. I have written this so that you don't need too much information from the first story, it's just continuing the universe.
> 
> This is in two parts. The first part is the fill for the prompt and the second part is where I took it.

**KUWC2 – A Two Part Story Starring Mozzie**

* * *

**Mozzie's Guilt**

* * *

_Bryce: Will you help me?_

_Mozzie: You want to steal this technology from the government?_

_Bryce: Yes._

_Mozzie: ...fine. I will assist. What do you need?_

* * *

Mozzie stared at the paper in his hands. Bryce's favour had given him a bad feeling at the time and he realised with growing dread that he should have listened to this feeling.

The paper stated that Bryce Larkin a 'bank executive' had been in killed in a bank robbery. A lie. It had to be. Bryce didn't work in a bank and he wouldn't let a bank robber kill him.

That the date of his death and the date he planned to break into a secure CIA facility matched up only increased Mozzie's guilt. CIA or not, Mozzie shouldn't have let him go alone. Neal's brother or not, Mozzie shouldn't have helped him.

How could he tell Neal that his brother had died? How could he say that he helped send Bryce to his death?

Mozzie made his decision. He would tell Neal that Bryce had died but would never tell him of his involvement. It was selfish but Neal would need him. He couldn't risk alienating his friend in their time of need because he made a foolish decision.

He put his quest for the truth above the needs of his friends and paid for it.

"What were you hoping to do?" he questioned. The sombre headshot of his lost friend was nothing like the real thing. It held no answers for him.

* * *

**A Hunt for the Truth**

* * *

Neal joined the FBI. Mozzie's gut churned at the thought. Neal made a deal with the FBI, he was going to work with the Feds.

Neal asked for his help. Help with solving the Suit's cases.

The past seemed to be repeating itself. How long would it be before Neal died? And Mozzie was helpless to stop it.

He couldn't leave Neal, Neal needed someone to rely on. Neal needed his help. Mozzie couldn't deny his friend that.

* * *

Mozzie hunted for rumours. He hunted for information. He didn't have the name for the technology Bryce had been after but he knew what it did.

It should have been enough but it wasn't. Mozzie didn't get a single bite with his search.

Until a Stanford professor was killed. Ever since Bryce mentioned where he was recruited, Mozzie had kept a watch on all things Stanford even if he didn't take a single step onto the campus.

Mozzie ignored how the man looked a little like a CIA him with his challenged hair growth and glasses. Instead he focused on the man's speciality; the subconscious and subliminal imagery. This man was most certainly connected to whatever-it-was that got Bryce killed.

For the first time, Mozzie travelled to Stanford for more information.

* * *

Stanford had been enlightening. Mozzie didn't care much for the atmosphere but he did meet an interesting librarian who had a good story for him. Apparently, there had been a shoot-out and what he claimed was a hired assassin looking for past students.

He had run away once the gun came out but he had a name for Mozzie. A name which cost Mozzie a few bills.

Chuck Bartowski. The assassin had been chasing him and his two 'friends'.

* * *

Research into Chuck Bartowski only revealed a wimp of a man who worked in a Buy More after being kicked out of Stanford.

Rumours, on the other hand...

* * *

Mozzie logged into the secure channel on IRC chat, under one of his lesser known accounts,  **LittleGuy** :

* * *

 **TheNemesis:**  So, you're looking into Chuck Bartoswki? Why?

 **NerdHerderGuy:**  What's so interesting about him?

 **LittleGuy:**  I am. And he's connected.

 **TheNemesis:** Connected? Explain.

 **LittleGuy:**  He's connected to something which led to the death of a friend of mine.

 **TheNemesis:**  Ohh? Who died?

 **NerdHerderGuy:**  Oh, please don't start Nemesis.

 **TheNemesis:**  :D Why not?

 **LittleGuy:**  ?

 **NerdHerderGuy:**  I hate you.

 **TheNemesis:**  Come on, this guy is after the Piranha.

 **LittleGuy:**  The Piranha? Chuck Bartoswki is the Piranha?

 **NerdHerderGuy:**  ! What are you doing?

 **NerdHerderGuy:**  Was! Was the Piranha.

 **TheNemesis:**  Forget the mission Charles, I know who we're talking to.

 **TheNemesis:**  Hey Moz.

 **LittleGuy:**  That I can neither confirm nor deny. But, since you know my name, I assume you are willing to return the favour.

 **TheNemesis:**  'I thought I saw a gondola', Amsterdam. You met Sarah that day.

 **LittleGuy:**  Whoever you are, I do not appreciate this intrusion into my private life and masquerade of lies!

 **TheNemesis:**  Relax, Moz, it's really me, Bryce. Chuck, confirm that I'm alive would you?

 **NerdHerderGuy:**  Um, what? Seriously Bryce, you know this guy?

 **TheNemesis:**  Of course.

 **LittleGuy:**  This is a trick! You'll not convince me like this!

 **TheNemesis** : 9000 Burbank Boulevard, Burbank, CA. I'll meet you there.

* * *

Mozzie thought long and hard about whether to believe 'TheNemesis'. It sounded like Bryce, when he was talking to Neal. But it was easy to pretend to be someone else behind the screen of a computer and the anonymity of Internet Chat. It was something Mozzie had always loved about it, until now.

He decided to go, in order to give the person stupid enough to masquerade as Bryce a punch. He didn't care if it killed him, as it probably would.

And no, he was not hoping that it was real. Although, if Bryce did trick them, he would punch him for Neal.

The address led to the Buy More Chuck worked out. Mozzie didn't make it past the parking lot before a bag was placed over his head and he was whisked away to an underground CIA base.

The bag was pulled off his head and Bryce was smiling down at him, almost an exact copy of Neal when he was planning a con.

"Hey, Moz. Congratulations on figuring out part of the conspiracy. Care to hear the rest?"


	22. CNHD - Can't Hide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From tatertot:  
>  _Could you please do a chapter showing Neal's reaction to Bryce's death? Like I think you may have done something like this before but something more specific? Just like show how losing his twin affected him and maybe throw in some twin telepathy/twin empathy?_
> 
> Notes: This might be more of an 'unexplainable' story but, it's mostly about Neal's reaction to Bryce's death so I put in the regular stories.

**CNHD - Can't Hide**

* * *

Neal stopped. He just froze like a statue, the cup in his hand sliding to the floor. A moment later, the smile was back on his face (yet, it was so obviously fake) and he was picking up the cup and tossing it like it was just an accident and nothing big had happened.

* * *

Neal's vision faded out and he was hit with the vision of a pure white room. Pain lanced through his side, not his but it felt like it. And then he was back in the White Collar office, coffee staining the floor beneath him and an overwhelming feeling of aloneness. A hole in his heart had opened.

Even so, Neal smiled. He slowly picked up the coffee cup and tossed it (he didn't think he could eat or drink anything right now) and then he walked up to Peter's office and locked himself in.

Peter looked him over and raised an eyebrow.

"Neal?" he questioned. His query was answered as the mask fell from Neal's face. The smile became a frown and his blue eyes dulled.

"I... need to make a call," Neal responded, the blood draining from his face as he moved to sit in the chair across from Peter.

Peter watched curiously, slightly touched the Neal would choose to hide away in his office when he was hurting.

Neal pulled out his phone and dialled. His voice was drained of energy as he spoke to the person on the other end and his head hurt.

"So, he is? I guessed, had a feeling," he said to the person on the other end. Neal looked like he was going to throw up and Peter unconsciously reached for the waste-basket under his desk.

* * *

Neal groaned and his hand moved to wipe at the tear-tracks across his face. More tears welled up, even though he was sick from crying. The empty hole in his chest throbbed and he knew he had lost something important.

"Feeling better?" Peter asked, handing him a cup of water.

Neal took the cup but didn't respond. He felt like if he tried, he would start crying again. Peter's glare was stabbing, though, so he took a small sip of the water and was rewarded with a small smile.

"Neal?" Peter questioned, sliding down so they were level. Neal wondered when Peter had rolled his chair in front of the small couch.

"Bryce is gone," Neal finally mumbled.

"Yes," Peter responded. Neal gave him a curious look; he hadn't told Peter about his brother.

Peter held up the phone. "Chuck explained it to me." Neal stared at him blankly. He didn't remember giving his phone to Peter either. "You didn't hand up before announcing that you needed a moment and falling asleep in my office. You know, I didn't get the couch for you." It was said jokingly as Peter's attempt at cheering him up. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Neal, you're coming home with me tonight. El's going to make some comfort food and we're going to open the bottle of wine June sent us."

"I'd rather not," Neal responded. Elizabeth didn't need him around when he was depressed. He was far from his classy self.

"Too bad. I called her while you were sleeping and she's already invited Mozzie."

Neal gave him a surprised look.

"I know," Peter sighed, "he was over there when I called and insisted on being invited. Something about how good wine shouldn't be wasted on 'the Suit'."

Neal cracked a small smile at that.

"So, sleep some more and I'll wake you when it's time to leave."

Neal was out a moment later.


	23. BDAY - Birthdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it's my brother's birthday, I felt like writing a 'Twins' birthday thing.

**BDAY - Birthdays**

* * *

As Danny and Bryce, birthdays were celebrated together and sometimes with Ellen. They would wake up, wish each other a birthday, exchange presents and then go about their day. If Ellen was able to, she would bring them a cake and they would eat it after school. She also brought presents.

The worst question anyone could ask them during those years was, "what did you get for your birthday?" Because even the poorest kids could list off something their parents gave them, be it cake or time together. Danny and Bryce didn't get that and so, couldn't answer the question the way their peers did.

Apparently, saying your twin brother got you something didn't count, it had to be your parents.

* * *

When Danny became Neal, Neal and Bryce had different birthdays. Neal had their real birthday while Bryce continued to use the cover one. On Neal's birthday, a present always made its way to him. Sometimes it was a day or two late or early but, it was still there.

Neal didn't appreciate that one year Bryce visited, bringing a bunch of angry French spies into Neal's life. Even if Bryce's present was the French Government contracting him to steal from their famous museums.

Then again, Neal did have fun, even if the French spies tried to off him once the job was done.

With Bryce's birthday, Neal had a bit more trouble. Mozzie would never admit it but, information about the covert activities of the Government and Government agents eluded him. So, Neal often had no idea where Bryce was when the cover birthday came around. It took him over a year to track down his spy brother, a birthday he missed which gnawed at him whenever he thought about it.

After Neal tracked him down, Bryce agreed to set up a secure drop point where Neal could leave his present each year.

* * *

When Neal was arrested, he had Mozzie drop the gift for the four years he was locked up. Bryce's present to Neal was always sitting on his bed when his birthday came around and Neal would give almost anything to have Bryce tell him how he pulled that off.

When Neal made his deal with the FBI something strange happened. The first year was the same as always with the present left at June's, on his bed when he came back from the FBI. But the second year brought something that Neal hadn't had before.

Coworkers, friends and a stable place to stay. He had been surprised to see that Diana had arranged a birthday party for him, something small with just the White Collar team and Elizabeth. There were a few balloons scattered around the Burke's place where it was held, because Diana knew that party planning needed to involve Elizabeth Burke. Everyone brought a little something to eat and June, who wasn't able to come but wanted Neal to know she cared, provided the wine.

The party was in full swing when a man vaulted over the Burke's fence. He ran over to Neal and pushed a brightly wrapped present into his hands.

"Happy Birthday Little Brother!" he cried before running back to the fence and vaulting back over.

Bryce had taken advantage of everyone's surprise at seeing someone looking just like Neal, and Neal's surprise at seeing him, to get in and out quickly and without opposition. As such, he was almost gone when he heard Neal bellow;

"I was born FIFTEEN MINUTES before you!"

Bryce chuckled to himself all the way back to base. Keeping the cover birthday actually made him a few months older than Neal, on paper at least.


	24. CLNS - Crossed Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From kateydidnt on AO3:
> 
> _Idea for you: Ellie and Devon are in New York (honeymoon? anniversary? romantic vacation?) and run into Neal. Ellie is about to take his head off for what "Bryce" did to her little brother. Peter interrupts and thinks this is another old con and alias of Neal's that has come back to haunt him._
> 
> Notes: Okay, so in this one, Ellie is a bit confronting but she believes she has reason to be (and doesn't care much about CIA rules) and Neal is a little callous but he's a conman and hasn't seen Bryce since he ran off.
> 
> Also, no bright sunshiny ending or dark ending.

**CLNS - Crossed Lines**

* * *

Neal wondered how he ended up in this situation. An angry brunette woman yelling at him about what 'he' did to her brother while being held back by her buff husband.

"Do you even know how much danger you put him in?" she screeched, momentarily catching the attention of the agents in the room. One glare from Peter sent them on their way.

"If my CI has harmed you or anyone you know, I would be willing to talk about it my office," Peter said, stepping between her and Neal. Neal felt tiny under the glare Peter sent him. He wanted to defend himself; he had no idea who this woman was, but he knew Peter wouldn't hear it.

"That would be good, thank you," her husband said. Neal felt his stomach sink as he followed Peter up to the office.

"What did you do?" Peter asked him, fury in his tone. "Which con has come back to bit you, Neal?"

"Peter, I swear, I have no idea who these people are," Neal whispered back.

* * *

Peter and Devon acted like barriers, keeping Neal and Ellie from each other. Peter gave Neal a cursory glance when the two introduced themselves and Neal shook his head; the names were not familiar to him.

"Well, I'm not sure how much I can say in your presence," Ellie huffed.

"Look, we just didn't expect to see Bryce here," Devon responded. Ellie had informed him of who the man she confronted was while they followed the agent to his office. "Or anywhere, really."

"You're supposed to be dead," Ellie hissed, almost like it was a shame he wasn't. It wasn't mean because she didn't like how much trouble the man seemed to be the centre of. He got Chuck kicked out of Stanford and then sent him the Intersect just when he was beginning to move on, which put him on the hit-list of America's enemies, not to mention trying to steal Sarah from her brother and dying in front of Chuck. Ellie had seen the pain and regret in her brother's face when he told her about that. He truly regretted being unable to save his friend... while said friend apparently was living the high-life in New York.

Neal shook his head when Peter turned to give him a questioning look.

"I have no idea what they're talking about." What name had Devon called him again? That sounded familiar.

"Of course you don't, Bryce," Ellie continued, "whatever mission you're on now, I hope it's worth it."

Bryce? Realisation shot through Neal.

He started laughing.

"Neal?" Peter questioned, worried about the sanity of his CI. He was also worried about the growing anger on Ellie's face. Even Devon was starting to look annoyed.

Neal waved his hand dismissively through the air.

"You've got me mixed up with someone else," he responded, "Bryce is my twin brother." Neal took one glance at the disbelieving expressions on the other three's faces. It was all he needed to calm down. "I'm Neal Caffrey, a.k.a, and this never leaves this room, Danny Larkin. I may have run away from home at eighteen."

Ellie raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Really Neal?" Peter questioned sceptically, "wouldn't an apology for whatever you did to Ellie and her brother be better?"

Neal resisted the urge to sigh. He never lied to Peter and yet, Peter never seemed to believe him. Even when he gave him the name which would allow his FBI handler to seek out any information on his childhood the man wanted.

"No. Because I didn't do anything. Bryce did. I can apologise for my brother being an idiot but that's it."

"Let's just go," Devon said after a moment. Ellie shot one more glare at Neal before huffing out of the room.

"Well, Neal, hope you're happy," Peter commented, "I doubt they're going to talk to us about what they saw now."

"I can't help that," Neal responded, a little annoyed Peter didn't believe him. "I'm not who they think I am."

* * *

A few days later, the case was solved by the NYPD. Although, Neal checked the records when they turned up at the FBI office and found a few blank spots which suggested help.


	25. DofD - Dangers of Drinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Anon:  
>  _Pleeeeease do something where the twins get drunk and try to prank peter with various degrees of success. It would be amazing thank_
> 
> Notes: I am not much of a prankster, so I don't know many pranks. But, hope you enjoy what I did come up with (Neal wouldn't have been able to pull it off without Bryce –and alcohol).

**DofD - Dangers of Drinking**

* * *

Peter flinched as his phone rang. And rang. And rang.

"Aren't you going to get that?" El asked, lifting her head from his chest.

"It's Neal."

"So?"

Peter gave a frustrated sigh in response. El reached out and answered the phone instead.

"Hi Neal."

"El! Hi~," something sounded off about Neal. His voice was slurred and he wasn't trying to hide it. Oh, and he sounded happier than usual. "I was lookin' for Peterrr. Pee-t-errr. Hehe, that's fun to say. Peter."

"Is he drunk?" El asked, giving Peter a baffled look. She didn't even think it was possible to get Neal Caffrey drunk.

"He's been calling all night. Just be happy he's not pulling the 'is your refrigerator running' gag. I've heard three different variations, one in French."

"And that's why Mozzie's convinced that the government installed cameras on the moon to spy on us," Neal was saying, oblivious to the fact that El had stopped listening.

"Neal-"

"Anyway El, I don't want to do this to you but, a deal's a deal. Um... I'll remember my line in a moment... right! I'm doing a survey and would like to ask you some questions!"

"Okay." She figured it couldn't hurt to play along.

"What's it like being married to a Fed?"

"Hard but worth it. I worry about him at work but he loves his job and I love him."

"Okay," Neal stopped her from elaborating and muttered, "I kind of didn't need to know that." Then he continued with the questions, "does your husband have ponies printed on his nightclothes?"

"Uh, no? Ponies? Really, Neal?"

"What about unicorns?"

"No."

"Rainbows? I kind of had him pegged as a rainbows kind of guy."

"No." El couldn't help giggling at that though.

"Alright, well onto the next caller then!" And he hung up. A few moments later the phone rang again.

"Oh for the love of-" Peter grumbled, grabbing the phone from her and answering it. "Neal, I swear-"

"Would you will confirm your order of exotic Mexican dancers for Jones' bachelor party?"

"No. Neal stop." But Neal had already hung up. And then called back a moment later;

"Why did you hang up on me?" he whimpered.

"I-I didn't!" Peter spat out, completely thrown off. He had no idea how to deal with this. It wasn't like 'what to do when your CI is drunk and prank-calling you constantly' was covered in the FBI manual.

El took the phone from him.

"Neal? You there? Good. Stop messing with Peter. Yes, it can be fun but you've crossed that line already. Now it's harassment. The kind of harassment which could land you back in prison. You'll stop? Good."

And then the phone beeped again. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

"A picture?" Peter questioned, cautiously opening the message.

'Meet my twin brother' the text proclaimed with a picture of two casually dressed Neal Caffreys standing side by side with one arm looped around the other and the other holding up beers.

"That's kind of adorable," El commented. Peter wanted to agree except, this meant a lot more paperwork for him in the morning. He would have to get the photo checked for image manipulation and then look into Neal's possible twin.

Prank or not.

* * *

What Peter didn't find out until the next morning was, that someone had been in his closet. This someone; Neal admitted at the office that it had been Bryce because he valued their partnership too much to break into his house for that, had replaced all his clothes. The phone calls had been a distraction.

El had him model a few before work, making approving noises while he flushed with embarrassment. She even picked out the tie he wore to work; even his ties had been replaced and that made him want to cry.

Peter walked into the FBI office and turned heads in his brand new dark suit which looked expensive and felt expensive. The shirt was a light faded green and his tie was a blue and grey pinstripe and he felt very uncomfortable.

"Looking great, Peter!" Neal complemented while Diana chuckled. It may have been a childish act but, Peter snatched the sunglasses from Neal's face.

"I don't think these are very professional," he commented, taking them to be locked in his office while the hungover Neal winced in the light.

Bryce came for lunch though and handed Peter a note which listed a storage location where his original clothes could be found while wearing a cheshire grin.


	26. FDS - From Dinners to Stings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From kateydidnt on AO3:  
>  _Another thought just hit me-what if Elli (and Chuck) Bartowski were cousins of Elizabeth Burke nee Mitchell?_

**FDS - From Dinners to Stings**

* * *

Chuck didn't want to do this.

"Come on, Chuck," Ellie insisted, "they weren't able to make it to either of our weddings. We should introduce our spouses to them since we're holidaying in New York."

Chuck sighed and tried not to look at Sarah's earnest but confused face. His wife didn't really understand why he didn't like visiting his cousin Elizabeth. It had little to do with Elizabeth herself but her straight-laced husband, who hadn't been happy to hear that he had been kicked out of Stanford for cheating and that he started working in a Buy More. Chuck claimed he was innocent and while Peter had looked into it, he hadn't been able to find evidence of the truth.

While Chuck had forgiven Bryce for the deception which got him kicked out years ago, he wasn't pleased that events like this brought up the bitter memories.

"I'll do it," Sarah said, ringing to doorbell when Chuck didn't move.

"Neal!" came a bellow from inside.

"Ha! Too slow!" was the response as the door opened to reveal a clean-shaven, dark haired man in a suit with familiar features and bright blue eyes.

"Bryce?" Sarah questioned, her jaw dropping. The man gave her a confused look before a thin-haired brunette with a scowl moved him out of the way.

"Ellie, Chuck, good to see you," he said, shaking their hands. "And Devon and Sarah, I assume?" He didn't wait for a response before adding, "please, ignore Neal. He's just trying to embarrass me."

"Don't need my help for that," Neal quipped. Peter turned to glare at him but it had little effect, except to make him smile wider. "I'll see if El needs any help in the kitchen."

The two couples shared a look.

"Wasn't that-?" Ellie asked her brother.

"I don't know," Chuck responded. "He looks like him but doesn't really look like him..."

"What do you mean?" Sarah questioned. She thought he looked just like Bryce. More childish, but that would make sense if he was playing a role for a mission.

"Just, he doesn't seem like Bryce," Chuck mused as if he couldn't understand it himself.

"You didn't, you know," Devon questioned, his face twitching in a little in distaste as he mentioned Chuck's Intersect flashes.

"No," Chuck responded.

"But that doesn't mean anything," Ellie pointed out.

"Is there a problem?" Peter questioned in a tone that said he had a feeling he knew what they were talking about. Really, he knew they were talking about Neal. He just didn't understand why. He hoped that Neal hadn't somehow conned his relatives-in-law.

"No! No problem," Chuck said, plastering a huge smile on his face. "Just, never seen someone dressed that fancy for lunch."

"That's Neal for you," Peter chucked awkwardly as he moved to let them in. He and Chuck stared at each other, both trying to get the other to break and admit whatever conspiracy was going on with the FBI CI, Neal Caffrey.

* * *

Neal felt awkward. El had assured him that he was welcome but, he certainly didn't feel that way. Not with the way the Burke's guests were staring and glaring at him.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked Ellie after the fourth icy glare.

"You tell me," she responded icily. Neal looked to Peter for help. Peter looked to El for help. El gave them both looks of complete disbelief; Peter she could understand but even Neal couldn't hold the conversation?

"So, Chuck, how's work?" she asked.

"Uh, good," Chuck responded awkwardly. He couldn't tell them that he was the secret owner of the Buy More because, one, it was a secret and, two, he wouldn't be able to explain where he got the money. Unless, maybe El knew about the family business? "Hey, El. Did you hear that mum came back?"

"Aunt Mary? No," El responded, frowning a little. Her voice took one a slight tone of anger as she recalled how upset her cousins had been when their mother, her aunt, had vanished. They had started seeing each other less after that incident.

"She was there for Clara's birth," Devon pointed out like a proud papa. "She's watching her so we can visit."

El frowned. She didn't know whether she liked the sound of that. Neal was also frowning.

"Mary?" he questioned.

"I don't think I've heard about your aunt," Peter pointed out to El.

"Of course not," El grumbled.

"Mum left when we were younger," Chuck said, "because of work. She had a dangerous job and didn't want to put us in danger because of it."

Peter wondered what kind of job could be dangerous enough for a mother to leave her children. Neal however understood. He knew that there was trouble even innocent people could find themselves in which required them to leave or hurt love ones.

"She a cop or something?" he asked.

"Something like that," Chuck responded, "she wasn't a cop but she worked law enforcement."

Neal nodded and wondered if law enforcement was riddled with children who were left behind by their parents. As he took another bite of El's pasta, he noticed that Chuck's group shared a look. He didn't know what it meant but he knew it was about him.

He sighed and put his fork down.

"If you're not okay with me being here, I can leave?" he suggested. He could feel El's and Peter's shock but he knew that it was better to be straight with some people.

"Uh, that's not it," Ellie was quick to say. He shot her a look that said he didn't believe her. She had been shooting him icy looks the whole time.

"You just look like a friend of ours," Sarah pointed out.

"Exactly like a friend of ours," Chuck commented, "and it's a little creepy."

Neal felt his hunger leave him at those words. Yeah, he had heard them before. In shopping centres, at home and wherever else he went up until the age of eighteen.

"Bryce Larkin?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing in distaste. "We're nothing alike thank you. We're different people and we have different ways of doing things."

"Like how you're a criminal?" Sarah questioned. Neal twitched. "You wear a GPS tracking anklet."

"It's a shame Mozzie doesn't call you guys Suits," he muttered. Because there was only one job she had in order to be that observant, he had seen the way she cased the joint, and know Bryce Larkin. He stood up. "Thanks for the lovely dinner, El but I should be going."

"Never thought I'd hear you call someone a 'Suit'," Peter murmured with a smirk. He sort of trusted Chuck's wife now.

Neal moved to leave but paused at the back door. Then he smirked. And gave a cackle.

"Okay, I kind of owe him," he said, "Bryce, that is. And I owe him for ratting me out to the polizie a while back." He scribbled a name and address onto a piece of paper. "Here's the name Bryce Larkin is currently using and the address of his safe house. He's living right off the radar, so you should be able to catch him."

The four visitors were staring at him.

"Uh, what if we meant him harm?" Devon questioned.

"I don't think you do," Neal responded with a shrug. "Not if you're related to Peter and El." Peter raised his eyebrow at him because that wasn't logical at all. "Okay, you haven't tried to make off with me, not even when I was leaving so, I don't think you mean him harm. Besides, you're probably the ones he felt sorry about faking his death for. Enjoy gossiping about me!" And with that said, Neal vanished.

* * *

After a night talking with Chuck, Sarah, Ellie and Devon, Peter was not surprised when someone who looked just like Neal stormed into the conference room during a briefing to scold Neal for 'selling him out'.

"Bryce, sit down!" Peter barked, to the shock of his agents. "You can argue with Neal about it later, we're working!" Bryce stared at him before slipping into the seat next to Neal.

"So-" he hummed, pointing at the picture on the screen.

"We believe he's stealing his own collections and selling counterfeits on the black market, profiting numerous times over," Neal informed him.

"As I was saying, Neal will be going undercover as..." Peter continued the briefing, ignoring Bryce's presence. He at least seemed to keep Neal focused, or annoyed, by taking his rubber band ball from him.

"Want some help?" Bryce asked at the end, ignoring the stares from the shocked White Collar agents.

Not if half the things Chuck told me are true, Peter thought. For all Bryce worked for the 'good guys', he sounded a lot like Neal in the ways which made his job harder. In the ways which meant if Peter said 'no', he was likely to find a Neal doppelgänger blowing their op.

"You'll stay in the van," he said, "and be Jones' problem. If you do mess up our sting, I will report you to Chuck." He felt a little silly but, the threat of telling Chuck and involving the 'Suits' they both worked for, seemed to work.

Peter took a moment to appreciate that he did use 'Suits' to refer to them; Mozzie would be proud and it was the best word anyway. The paperwork he would have to do if he admitted he knew who Bryce worked for was enough incentive to keep the secret.

Poor Jones looked a little shocked and horrified though.


	27. SU2 – To Get An Xbox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From idontkare  
>  _I was reading a really old story of yours-Spies vs. Cons, and came to the story Shoot 'em up. It was really cute and I was wondering if you could write a sequel? Maybe one where the CIA needs Neal's shooting skills for whatever reason and Casey has to go down to the FBI offices to convince Neal to shoot-he did lose the last bet, after all. Maybe this time, Neal decides he really does want an X-box..._

**SU2 – To Get An Xbox**

* * *

Unlike the FBI agents, Neal didn't look up. He didn't pay any attention to the men in suits flanking the short military woman whose wrinkles weren't all caused by her frown. He was hoping if he ignored them, they would go away.

"Neal Caffrey, I do not stand for this kind of treatment from my agents and I will certainly not stand for it from a felon."

Neal sighed and made slow business of closing the file he was working on and putting it away.

"I am not one of your agents, Diane," he droned.

"But you are an American citizen."

"Technically, I'm a ward of the state and don't really possess citizenship status. I will regain such a status once I complete my four year sentence." Neal took pride in the slightly baffled look which flashed across Beckman's face. He finished with, "call Bryce." Bryce would be better for it anyway. Casey had called him the previous day about an 'opportunity' which Neal had no interest in.

"You shoot better than your brother and you know it," Beckman said sternly.

"Talk to my handler," Neal smirked, pointing at Peter. Peter had finally arrived down the stairs with Hughes, looking furious at the NSA intrusion into his FBI office.

"Are you recruiting one of my men?" Hughes growled at Beckman.

"Not recruiting," Beckman corrected, "making a request of."

"She wants to take me outside of my radius," Neal informed them in a helpful tone and his most mischievous smile.

It had the desired effect, after Hughes spent a few moments glaring at him. The FBI agents all turned to silently question Beckman.

"We require Caffrey's special skills," she explained diplomatically.

"And all I get out of it is a lousy Xbox," Neal muttered. Why Casey thought he would want something like that was beyond him.

"Agent Larkin has offered to alter the Xbox so that it has more... features," Beckman informed him.

Neal gave her an annoyed look. Casey hadn't mentioned anything like that. Beckman handed him a file and he opened it. Inside was a description from Bryce.

"Alright," Neal sighed, handing the file back. "But non-lethal shots only."

"Fine," Beckman responded, "if you miss, it'll be a lethal shot anyway."

"I don't miss," Neal responded.

Hughes cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"General? Could we discuss this in my office?" he said. Beckman consented. To Neal's surprise, Peter waited until after they closed the door to Hughes' office to begin grilling Neal.

* * *

Casey started setting up the gun. His job was to watch the exit like a good little sniper and get anyone who left. The CIA and NSA preferred that they be taken alive but dead was better than escaped.

On another building, watching the exit on the other side, was Neal. Casey had bet that he could get more than Neal, an offer the other man didn't agree to.

"I'm already getting an Xbox out of this," he grumbled, "why would I make a bet with you?" Casey decided he sounded a lot like Larkin right now.

"They're going to start smoking out the rats," he mused to himself as he loaded the gun and got ready.

Pandemonium started inside and people swarmed towards the exits. Casey lined up his shots and fired. He didn't instantly kill anyone but there were a few who would probably not make it to hospital.

"I got seven," he informed Neal when they met up after. Neal passed the case holding the gun to him.

"Eight," he muttered, not at all happy.

* * *

El had not been surprised to see Neal Caffrey at her door. Peter had said that he expected something like this. The NSA was harsher than the FBI and he knew that Neal didn't like guns.

"Don't worry," Peter said as El brought Neal inside and asked him if he needed anything. "You won't be working with them again. I'll make sure of it."

"I belong to the FBI, right?" Neal said, his tone more like a grumble than the joking one he usually used.

"At least we don't pull you out of 'Cappuccino in the Clouds' for three days," Peter commented, earning a light whack from his wife and no response from Neal.

"So, what did you get for it?" El asked as Peter had already informed her of the chat in the office. It seemed like an odd thing for the government to offer Neal but, true to the discussion, he held up a box containing an Xbox.

"Seriously?" Peter questioned.

"Wanna play?" Neal asked, a flicker of something in his eyes. Peter decided that was a good thing and nodded.

Peter probably should have worried at the way Neal set up the console. But he was just pleased to see him acting a little more like normal.

"'James Bonds'?" El questioned, looking at the title on the game case. Neal smirked and took the game from her to put it into the console. He picked up two controllers and held one out to Peter.

"Uh-uh, I can't play," Peter said.

"Neither can I," Neal shrugged. "But, this game has a tutorial level and it'll teach us how to play."

"How do you know that?" El asked, setting in to watch. She was smiling at Peter, silently encouraging him to join in. Peter sighed and took the controller.

"Because I know the guys who made the game," Neal grumbled, "they knew that it was the only way to get me to accept the 'reward' for helping Casey out."

Peter really should have been suspicious. Well, more suspicious than usual. Because this would end with his red face, El laughing and Neal overjoyed.

* * *

"Wait? This is a game based off YOU?" Worse than that, "and WHY AM I MOZZIE?"

"Because you're player two," Neal responded as if it was obvious. "Now, watch out, Agent Burke is about to spot you. You don't want to end up on the 'Most Wanted' list, do you?"


	28. DWH3 - What Brings Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From JantoHarkness on AO3; Chapter 5 of Trackers vs Guns  
>  _Also, you know you have to do one of these for Neal right? It would only be fair for his life to be tortured as equally as his twin's life. XD_
> 
> Notes: Tried to base this one off the one I wrote about Bryce. Also, I needed some cool old lady June.

**DWH3 - What Brings Hope**

* * *

_"Go home. The rest of the office will be putting in all hours trying to sort this mess out. The only advice I can give you is this: do not talk to a lawyer, don't talk to Mozzie, keep your head down until we fix this. If it goes public in any way, the higher-ups will revoke our deal and you're back in. For however long that'll be," Peter grumbled that last bit under his breath._

* * *

_"You lied right to my face!" Mozzie yelled glaring up at Neal as the taller man looked down on him._

_"It wasn't a lie-"_

_"No, it was a con," Mozzie interrupted in a disappointed tone. It seemed that maybe Kate was right about one thing, Neal was a con. He conned everyone and it didn't matter if he liked you or not. It both hurt and pleased him to see Neal physically recoil from his words._

* * *

_A day became two days, two days a week, a week a month, a month became two months, and then half a year passed without Neal being able to chat with his old friend._

* * *

June was the first to notice. To really notice. The maids worked different days and were dazzled by Neal's manners and smile and interest in their lives that they didn't notice his increased requirement of medical supplies.

They didn't notice how he stopped getting paint and art supplies, although they hadn't been in charge of that anyway.

They didn't notice how the amount of food he bought was decreasing. Just the fact that he stopped eating from June's kitchen was enough to hint that something was wrong.

June was slightly appalled that no one noticed but then, she must have missed some kind of sign if she could leave to visit grandchildren and come back to a thin and tired Neal who looked like he hadn't seen sunlight in a long time.

It was worse than if he had been in prison.

"Mozzie, what's wrong with Neal?" June asked one evening during their regular games night. Mozzie still hadn't improved his technique at High Stakes Candyland.

"Neal?" Mozzie questioned going stiff. It was a tell-tale sign to June that he didn't want to talk about this. "If you haven't heard, we're out. No longer partners. I do not work with him and I do not associate with him. For my own safety, of course."

"Safety?" June questioned, a little surprised. She had thought that there was nothing which could tear Mozzie's and Neal's friendship apart. "But surely Peter-" she paused. Peter was an okay guy, for a Suit who didn't understand their ways. However, she hadn't seen Peter the past few weeks. How was Neal getting to work?

"Got to go," Mozzie quickly said, ducking out of the house through one of the many hidden exits. As June suspected, Neal came walking through the door a moment later.

"Ah, June. I, sorry, I didn't realise you were in here," he said, stepping backwards. June raised an eyebrow and motioned for Neal to come and sit down.

Since when did Neal shy away from human contact? The boy thrived on it.

"Neal? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Neal responded with a flash of the conman she saw when they first met.

And that didn't convince June at all.

"How's Peter been?" she asked.

"Fine," Neal responded after a beat.

"And El?"

"Fine." Neal seemed to be getting suspicious.

"And the Feds you work with?"

"Fine."

"Really? Even the Lady Suit Mozzie approves of?" Mozzie would probably be horrified that she was even suggesting that he approved of a Suit but, it worked. Neal's face scrunched in concentration as he tried to remember if anything had happened to her. So something was going down at the FBI too. June wondered just what Neal did to make both Mozzie and the FBI want to avoid him.

"I haven't been into the office for a few days," Neal informed her, "they just call me whenever they need me and sometimes Jones drops by with cases he wants me to look at."

"Why?" June asked. She saw the slump of his shoulders, the hollowness of his face and figured that whatever it was, he had been punished enough.

"I introduced my twin brother to them."

That... was not at all what she expected.

* * *

The White Collar office seemed to pause as the elegant June Ellington walked in. She looked around, the piercing disapproval in her eyes causing every inexperienced probie and a few agents to turn away in shame. Peter sighed at the sight and wondered just why she was here.

And then she took a few steps and the agents could catch a glance at the figure behind her.

"Is that Mozzie?" Jones questioned in shock.

"Whoa," Diana commented as the two made their way up to the Conference room. You could see from their body language that June was not happy with Mozzie.

She also wasn't happy with the Feds either.

"Neal's not eating," she opened with, "he gets hurt every time he goes undercover. He doesn't paint and he doesn't leave his apartment unless you pull him out for a case, Agent Burke."

"I don't-"

"Unless you want to talk to a lawyer instead of face-to-face, you will let me finish," June stated. "Neal finally tells you something about his family and you kick him around for it. I don't care if he's CIA," she looked to Mozzie, "has Neal's face," Peter, "or anything like that. Peter, you would have given almost anything to know about Bryce earlier and Mozzie, you've known Neal for years, he's earned the benefit of the doubt." They were staring at her like she was speaking another language. "Peter, you and your wife and invited to dinner. I expect to see you there. Mozzie will be there too." Mozzie looked surprised and briefly considered countering but this was June and she didn't pause until finished. "Neal will be there and you are going to talk to him and apologise." Her tone left no room for argument.


	29. TT3 – Team Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Fiona12690 on fanfiction.net:  
>  _This was brilliant! I would love to see more of this (maybe even a slightly long chaptered series that is stemed from this story/prompt) about how Finley, Danny and Bryce meet up again after many years apart at the taskforce or them having to work with each others agencies in order to bring down a really big bad guy in the world._

**TT3 –**   **Team Up**

* * *

Finley knew of the rumours, every NSA agent worth their salt knew. Rumours that the CIA and NSA were planning a team-up with another organisation which remained unnamed.

"This is all your fault," he grumbled to Bryce. They were sitting in a cafe in France, enjoying hot coffee. Finley poured a stream of sugar into his. "None of them would be taking this idea seriously if you hadn't jump-started the first functioning CIA/NSA operation."

"I can't take all the credit," Bryce responded as he stirred milk into his coffee. "Chuck was the reason it didn't become one big competition on which organisation was better."

"You really think this three-organisation team up will work?" Finley scoffed.

"I have to," Bryce responded, "since they nominated me."

Finley cursed and put down his coffee cup.

"Seriously? You mean they're going to move beyond rumours?"

Bryce nodded.

"I figure since you're NSA, I can freely confirm it for you."

"Pft, you just want me to nominate myself as the NSA agent."

Bryce raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I want to be on the same team as you?"

"Because, you're annoyingly sentimental. That's why you haven't cut off contact with me and the family even though we'd be safer."

"Hey, I'm not the sentimental one!" Bryce said and then paused. They both knew what he was going to say next. The sentimental one had always been the middle brother. Bryce amended his comment, "well, safer for the family maybe. I'm a little worried for those who would go after you to get to me."

Finley smirked. Bryce was right to worry, he hadn't risen in rank because he was a softy. But, he also understood why Bryce was hesitant to break contact. The same reason he let Bryce tell their family how he was doing.

The reason the name 'Danny' wasn't mentioned often in their house.

"Drink your coffee," he said to Bryce.

* * *

Bryce gave him a sideways glance as he stepped up towards the podium. Shaded faces, blackened out by the lights shining behind him, gazed down on him.

He hated this room. Instead of focusing on his discomfort, he focused on his brother's presence beside him. Even if Bryce's eyes sparkled with the unsaid comment of, 'who's annoyingly sentimental now?'.

"Special Agent Bryce Larkin of the CIA and Major Finley Larkin of the NSA. You understand why we have called you here?"

"Yes," the both responded.

"You've called us together because you want a joint-operation team which will work together," another voice called mockingly from the darkness. Bryce and Finley both turned as the newcomer emerged from the darkness with a smirk on his face.

"Agent Daniel Larkin," his name was said with a sigh. "Nice of you to join us."

"What?" Bryce gasped. Finley couldn't even manage that. Both their jaws were hanging open at the sight of their lost brother.

Said brother had a smile on his face as he walked towards them.

"Hey," he said as if he hadn't vanished on them after their eighteenth birthday. "How have you guys been?"

Finley snapped. He forgot about the higher-ups behind him and started yelling at Danny. He yelled questions about where Danny had been and what he had been doing as well as asking him if he had been thinking at all when he disappeared.

Danny tried to explain but his voice wasn't able to compete with the volume of Finley's anger.

Bryce's requests for them to calm down were lost in the noise.

The triplets all grabbed their ears as a high-pitched screech sounded through the room.

"Agents!"

All three paused, instantly recognising that they were in trouble.

"'Ey, maybe they'll cancel the team now," Finley slurred. He tried to shake off the stunning effect of the sound as quickly as he could.

"Unlikely," Danny sighed. Later he would explain that it was his search for his brothers which alerted the organisations to the fact that they had a set of triplets spread out between them.

* * *

"Stay in the van, Danny."

Danny shot Finley a nasty glare.

"No."

"Finley makes a good point, you don't have a gun."

"I don't need a gun, Bryce."

* * *

"I say we shoot him."

Bryce shot Finley a glare while their captive hid a flinch.

"No. We need him alive."

Neither of them noticed Danny in the room. They only noticed that he had been there when their captive escaped while their backs were turned.

* * *

"Hey, I got most of the information out of him. No torture involved," Danny commented with a smile and a shrug. "All I had to do was pretend to be on his side, looking for some way to take you two down."

Both his brothers glared at him. He ignored them and nudged the unconscious man at his feet.

"So, who's carrying him back to the van?"

* * *

The higher-ups didn't appreciate the brothers' reports. There was a distinct vain of annoyance through all three reports which suggested that the three didn't like working together.

Still, they were closer than three random agents from each of the organisations and they got the job done. They started discussing which mission to give the three next.


	30. SG - A Simple Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From schrodingersdog on AO3:  
>  _Can you do a story where Peter is comforting Neal after he finds out that Bryce was shot and killed? Maybe you could tell a story from Bryce and Neal's childhood..._
> 
> Notes: Not so much comforting as Peter helping as Peter can. (I assure you, Peter takes Neal back to his place at the end where El convinces Neal to talk about his feelings or at least talk to someone – and they call Mozzie in too). Also, not going to mark this collection as complete, not just yet. There'll be a few more stories before that.

**SG - A Simple Game**

* * *

Neal jumped into the car with his usual smile and greetings, as well as a Thermos of June's Italian roast coffee.

Peter nodded and was getting ready to pull the car out when Neal's phone went off. Neal didn't even glance at the screen as he answered.

"Hello? Oh, Chuck! It's been a while." Peter immediately racked his memory, trying to remember if there were any criminals with the name 'Chuck' or anyone Neal was known to associate with who was called 'Chuck'.

Unsurprisingly, he couldn't think of any. After all, criminals tended to go for much nicer or 'flashier' names like 'George' or 'Stephan' or something. Not Chuck.

He strained to hear the voice on the other end of the line, even turning the radio down. All he could hear were some soft murmurs.

He was so focused in trying to hear, his missed Neal's expression.

"Peter. Stop the car."

"Huh? What?" He motioned to the unmoving traffic around them. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Neal shook his head and Peter finally noticed how pale he was. Then he banged the door open.

Peter instinctively reached to grab his jacket in case he was trying to run but felt guilty when he identified the sounds of Neal retching outside the car.

"No, no, no, no, no," Neal whispered so softly that it took Peter a few moments to make out the words.

Peter felt helpless and wished his wife was here. He didn't know what to do in situations like this. He gave Neal a few pats on the shoulder.

"Neal, are you done?" he asked as the traffic ahead of them started moving. There were a few gasping breaths before Neal responded with a 'yes'.

Neal sat back up. His face was pale and his hair matted with a little bit of sweat. Peter had pulled his jacket out of place and Neal had tugged his tie loose.

Anyone else would still have been presentable for work. Neal ran a hand through his hair and sat back. There was no smile on his face and his eyes were gazing off in the distance.

"Neal?" Peter questioned, "are you okay?"

"No," Neal croaked. He then coughed to clear his throat and repeated, stronger, "no."

"What was that call about?" What could possibly unnerve the world's greatest conman?

There was a pause and Peter wondered if Neal was going to tell him.

"It was about my brother."

Peter's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"He's dead."

A curse slipped out in surprise.

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

"Can I ask how?"

"He was shot. And that's all I'm allowed to know." Peter tried to ignore the way Neal's lip trembled and the unnerved feeling in his gut that was telling him that  _this was all wrong._  "Stupid government agents and their stupid rules about secrets."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Neal was silent.

"Do you have a basketball?"

* * *

It was something that somehow became tradition between the two brothers. Bryce, the track star and Danny, the master pool player had one thing they both shared.

"Come on, it's a good hand-eye coordination thing!" Bryce laughed as his led his brother towards the basketball court near their house.

Neal didn't believe him but he was willing to give it a go. This was probably the only sport where Bryce's speed could combat his good eyes.

He whined anyway, "why do I have to come?"

"Because it'll be fun! Besides, I have no better teammate or competition than you!"

They won against Bryce's friends and then tied the next day when competing one-on-one against each other.

After that, informal games of basketball became a regular thing. It became time to bond as well as work off stress.

Even when Danny became Neal and Neal left, they still had a few games on the Stanford courts. Even when Bryce Larkin became Bryce the spy, they still had meet-ups to play a few rounds. Even when Neal was arrested, he had a 'special' visitor who didn't fill any logs or sign any papers. He just walked in, played a game with Neal out in the yard and then left.

They had a game just a few days ago. Bryce won by three points and Neal demanded a rematch.

* * *

Peter cursed in frustration as the ball went through the hoop, earning Neal another point. He had noticed the colour come back to Neal's cheeks as they played; although he couldn't tell whether that was because he was feeling better or if it was just the physical exertion.

"How many does that make?" he asked Neal.

"No idea," Neal responded with a smirk. "But I know I'm winning. So, Suit, you taking it easy on me?"

This was a lot different to the regular Neal but, if this helped him to deal, then Peter was willing to do this with him.

The rematch he demanded at the end was not because he lost miserably like Neal said.


	31. HSTY - Hospital Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Guest on Fanfiction.net:  
>  _hie.. I love to read your stories they are so amazing!_  
>  _i have a request...could you do one where neal is really injured because he is mistaken for being bryce and bryce feels very guilty..some comfort too..i hope you do this.._
> 
> Notes: made up the medical stuff but tried to make it realistic. Some brotherly Bryce and brotherly Neal in this (although I'm not too confident in the comfort part... or the guilty feeling part). I tried. Also, have some 'Peter-the-Caffrey/Larkin-Handler'.

**HSTY - Hospital Stay**

* * *

"Neal, do you know why they took you?" Peter asked.

Neal looked at him through his one bruised and one swollen eye. Peter considered it a testament to Neal's skill that he could look annoyed even while lying on a hospital bed being treated for multiple lacerations, a broken foot and a broken rib, a cracked rib, a deflated lung and a concussion.

He had been told not to strain himself during his stay and Peter's 'I need to get these guys' approach was calming because it was expected. But it did require him to respond.

He had an idea why they took him. They never outright said it but it was obvious from the name they called him.

They called him 'Bryce'. They were a couple of fools who couldn't tell the difference between Neal Caffrey and his twin.

Admittedly, hanging around agents had an upside; they could see the differences between the adult twins.

"They wanted Bryce," he explained in an injured voice.

A look of realisation appeared on Peter's face.

"Might want to warn him them. They got away from us for now but Jones and Diana are heading the search to find them. But, if Bryce is in town..." Peter looked to Neal for confirmation.

Neal nodded. Bryce was in town.

"Staying at June's?"

Neal nodded again.

"Should I go get him or send someone else?"

Neal pointed to Peter and glared at him. Like Bryce would trust the news from anyone else.

* * *

Bryce lay out in the sun, trying to relax his sore muscles. He had just had a tough mission, sneaking into a building to break into an encrypted server. The CIA needed to know what was going on in the building and couldn't access the files from outside the server room. The highly guarded, heavily protected server room.

He was starting to doze off when footsteps on the stairs set off the perimeter alarms.

"Oh, hi, Peter," he said as he opened the door the moment the FBI agent reached the top landing. "Neal's not-" It was then he noticed the serious expression on Peter's face. The grim 'I have news you don't want to hear' one.

Bryce felt his stomach drop. Denial said that this shouldn't happen to him; he was the agent and Neal wasn't!

"Neal's in hospital," Peter said.

Bryce felt a little relief at that.

Neal was in hospital. He wasn't dead.

Yet; a particularly traitorous part of his mind reminded him.

"Bryce," Peter said. The look on his face told Bryce that there wasn't an easy way to say whatever it was. "They took him because they thought he was you."

Bryce froze. No thoughts, no ideas, nothing but his blood roaring in his ears.

This wasn't supposed to happen. But, shouldn't he expect it happen when he pulls off a job while staying with his twin brother?

"This is all my fault," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"No," Peter said, although Bryce was only partially listening. "You didn't kidnap him. They did. And my team is doing their best to find them. Until then-"

"I'm going to help," Bryce said. It was the best way to make things right; to make the people who hurt his brother pay.

"No-"

"With or without your team, I'm going to find these guys!" He had an idea where to start too, looking over every detail of his last mission.

A hand clamped around his wrist. Bryce glared at Agent Burke.

"Let. Go."

"Neal's lying in a hospital bed. Whether you want to get the guys who attacked him or not, you should at least see him first. He wants to see you."

And, just like that, Bryce's bravado faded. Peter was right and he couldn't help feeling like he had been played.

* * *

Peter kept a watchful eye on Bryce. It was worse than watching over Neal because Bryce was well-trained in self-defence and combat and Peter could expect him to strike out at any time in order to leave. He was quieter though. Neal was chatty and fascinated with everything, commenting and asking questions whenever he could. Bryce was distant and took everything in with silent eyes.

Plus the guy was almost like a shadow. Peter turned his back on Bryce for a moment and he vanished to the nearest vending machine, giving Peter a heart attack when he realised the other man was gone.

"Neal's favourite," Bryce explained, holding up the can from the machine.

Peter sighed and just motioned at him to get on with it. They went up the elevator and walked down to Neal's room.

Bryce froze when he spotted the casts and bruises on his brother's body.

"Hey, little brother," Neal greeted in a raspy voice, "that for me?" He motioned to the can in Bryce's hands.

Bryce smiled at the sight.

"Nope," he responded, "I figured I'd drink it in front of you, since you went and got yourself kidnapped."

"Aw," Neal groaned with a playful frown. Bryce chucked and smiled a little. He placed the can on the bedside table.

"Only if the doctors say you can have it, okay?" he said, pulling up a seat.

Peter watched the two brothers interact with interest. He noticed that Bryce was just as chatty as Neal; he spent almost half-an-hour talking about one game he played with some guys called 'Morgan' and 'Chuck', helped Neal flirt with the female nurse who came in to check on them and actually asked Peter about how Neal was doing at the FBI. He did go quiet when Diana came in to visit and when Mozzie dressed as a doctor popped his head in.

Also interesting, Mozzie wouldn't even enter the room with Bryce there.

When El came to visit, Neal's pillows had been fluffed and Bryce was sitting with his hand running through Neal's hair, to Neal's annoyance, while telling him a story about a computer which could be downloaded into human's brains. He started with a spy breaking into a secret lab and sending the computer to an old friend, who probably didn't consider them friends because the spy had him kicked out of college and the only job he could get was fixing people's broken computers in a discount store and ended with the old friend, the spy's ex-girlfriend and a mercenary hired to steal the computer disarming a bomb in a hotel with an 'Irene Demova' webpage.

Peter thought that Bryce was an imaginative storyteller, even though he thought the story was a flight of fantasy that would never happen in the real world.

At least Neal enjoyed it, if his big smile was anything to go by.


	32. TTC3 – Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Writer on AO3:  
>  _I absolutely love the first chapter of your CIA vs Agents story and the way their relationship is so close. And I love the twin speak/feeling when each other get hurt thing. So cute! Can you do more like that?_
> 
> Notes: There are references made to White Collar episodes. The first paragraph takes place during the episode where Peter is poisoned during 'Company Man' and the second paragraph takes place after 'Point Blank'.

**TTC3 – Other Side**

* * *

Bryce lost himself in the rhythmic pattern of his martial arts steps. Punch, punch, punch, kick, twist. The dummy absorbed each blow.

It was late night training, something he had been doing a lot of lately. The General had been subtly suggesting that he get out of the CIA and maybe look into other arrangements. There was something rotten going on, centred around Chuck and although she hadn't outright stated it, Beckman had hinted at her inability to hide his living status from people who meant Chuck harm.

Not for the first time, being friends with Chuck Bartowski was throwing the tough decisions his way. He had been with the CIA for so long that he couldn't imagine a life outside of it, let alone a life which involved Chuck again.

_Peter!_

Panic shot through him. Bryce flinched and missed the target, his fist falling short and sailing through the air. He tried to calm down, to send calming feelings to lessen the panic but it felt like there was a wall there.

What was going on with Neal? Panic grew and grew, becoming a ball of restless energy in his chest. Then it faded to relief and Bryce could finally calm down and distance his brother's echoed emotions.

* * *

A few days later, Bryce found himself shooting up out of bed, ready to run somewhere. He was reaching for his go bag before the sleep faded to confusion.

What was going on? Neal rarely lost control like this. Bryce could feel the connection prick and spark, as if Neal was warning him to stay away.

Bryce sat down and tried to focus. He knew that sometimes he could see and hear things which were happening to Neal but, whatever it was, was gone. It had left Neal messed up and the effect on his emotions felt like a wall of splattered paint.

He really should give his brother a call. While their connection meant that one was never without the other, it wasn't the same as talking or meeting face-to-face.

"Bryce?" Neal answered the phone on the second ring. His voice was low and there weren't the usual sounds of the street or of feet on wood which sounded in Neal's apartment.

There was a calm but tense twinge from Neal and Bryce asked what was happening.

"I," Neal stopped and swallowed, "Mozzie was shot."

"What?" How had that happened? Bryce knew that Mozzie was paranoid and barely living on the grid so how had someone gotten close enough to shoot him?

"It's my fault." Neal went on to explain about Kate's death and the music box which contained some kind of code. Mozzie had taken the code to a contact of his; the contact was dead and the killer went after Mozzie.

"Need help?" Bryce asked. When Neal hesitated, he laughed. "You've still got Peter and the FBI."

"Yeah," Neal responded and he sounded content about that. "We can solve this. Diana's on the warpath, seems like she actually likes Mozzie. Peter's torn between helping her and making sure I know that it's not my fault. He wants 'the man behind the curtain', the one orchestrating all this.

Bryce had a fleeting thought of 'it's nice to have friends' which he wanted to quash as soon as he had it. Spies didn't need friends.

Too late though, Neal laughed a sarcastic laugh down the line.

Conmen didn't need friends either. But, as a master manipulator of language, Neal gave of waves of 'you don't need them to have them' and 'they'll stay' strong enough that Bryce could feel them in his laugh.

"Interesting," Bryce commented, wondering about his own situation again. "Tell Mozzie I'm thinking of him."

"Like you do every time you help the government cover-up a conspiracy?" Neal questioned.

"Of course." Maybe it was time to let Chuck know that he was alive.

Neal hummed in approval before hanging up.

* * *

It was such a little thing. Just a punch to the gut. It hurt but it didn't leave him heaving. Neal really shouldn't have felt it. And Bryce wondered if his twin realised that.

"Want to tell me what happened?" Neal asked, his face popping up on the laptop. Behind him, Bryce could see the wall of the FBI office. He could hear the sounds of the bustling office, even a few calls of 'hey, Neal'.

"Nothing happened."

Neal raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"I see. So, nothing is the reason I felt like I was punched in the stomach during a meeting with Peter? Do you know how hard that was to explain?"

"Maybe you ate something bad?"

"Wow," Neal said sarcastically, "that's the exact same excuse I implied. The sushi I had last night might have been off. But, you and I both know that if the sushi had been off, I wouldn't be sitting here comfortably talking to you. So, how's your day been?"

"Take a look," Bryce suggested, turning the laptop around so Neal could see Castle. "They don't have me in a cell so it probably went as well as it could."

"And the pain?"

Bryce stared back innocently. There was no way he was going to tell Neal about that.

"Chuck?" No. "Sarah?" No. "Casey?" Most certainly not. "Well, who else is there?"

"Morgan," Bryce said with a wince. "Little guy packs a punch." And he hadn't been expecting it.

Neal's laugh, though, he had been expecting that.


	33. CTF - The Cat Fic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From crnvskittens on AO3:
> 
> _Neal and Bryce's one weakness is kittens. Cats love them as much as they love cats, and they can't avoid helping one or petting one when they see it. Chuck figured this out early on and now uses this for his own evil purposes... Peter takes a bit longer to figure it out but doesn't let it go to waste._   
>  _I really just want an excuse to see both twins cuddling kittens._
> 
> Notes: It's really been a while since I could write a laid-back fic without much plot (because there is some plot). So enjoy snapshots of the twins' lives involving a connection with cats. I aimed for heart-meltingly (and breaking) cute.

**CTF - The Cat Fic**

* * *

"Mew."

The little creature shivered valiantly as it stepped towards the feet which stood before it. A child's hand caressed it and another joined in.

"We should take it home," one child's voice said.

"Mmhm," another, almost identical voice, murmured in agreement.

The boys, identical twins going by the names Bryce and Danny, took the kitten to their Aunt Ellen who showed them how to care for it.

The kitten was named Kathy; Ellen's choice since the boys couldn't agree on a name, and slept in the boys' closet.

Kathy the kitten was joined by Oscar, who was a round and fully grown cat, and Pirate, who was missing a leg. Ellen marvelled at the boys' ability to bring cats home.

She was quite surprised one evening to open the door to Bryce and Danny with a snarling, hissing cat stalking behind them.

"It followed us home!" They announced as one. She knew what dreaded question was coming next. "Can we keep it?"

The boys' mother barely noticed the three cats the boys had already brought home so, even though Ellen told them 'no', the newly christened Claws followed the twins everywhere.

Ellen hated that cat. It bit and hissed and swiped at her and anyone who wasn't the twins. She also waited the fallout she knew was coming.

One night, the Marshals took the cats. They were a security risk. The group of cats were attracting attention and they didn't want to have to relocate the family again.

The boys were distraught. They didn't understand the excuse Ellen had been told to give them; the cats had run away. They swore their cats would never leave them.

* * *

Bryce edged closer to the carrier. Chuck pretended not to look. Bryce reached out for the carrier.

Chuck whacked his hand with his textbook.

"Mrs. Jay would really get mad at me if I let her cat 'run wild in our dorm to be manhandled and beaten by idiots'." She had said that Chuck was a sweet thing and not one of 'those idiots' and he really couldn't blame her for her perspective; the others in the dorm did play a lot of nasty pranks on her and her 'Fluffykins'.

"The door is closed and locked, Chuck," Bryce responded with a glare at his roommate.

"I'm not about to trample over an older lady's trust."

Bryce glared. He knew exactly what Chuck wanted. Chuck raised an eyebrow. Was he willing to pay up?

Bryce was about to tell Chuck to forget it, when Fluffykins stuck his paw out the front of the carrier and gave a pitiful 'mew'.

Curse it, Bryce couldn't leave the poor thing inside the carrier. No matter what the price.

"Fine," he relented, opening up the carrier so the cat to jump down to his lap. "I'll buy lunch for the week."

"Awesome! You're the best buddy," Chuck responded happily with a smile, as if he hadn't extorted his friend into it.

Bryce pet the fluffy white cat and couldn't help reclining in the chair and saying, in his best 'evil villain' voice;

"I will get you for this, Chuck Bartowski."

Chuck paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"You should have gone with, 'we meet again, Mr. Bartowski'."

"Too cliché."

"Cliché! It's a classic!"

* * *

Neal twisted back at the familiar sound of pitter-patting feet behind him.

"Go away!" he whispered harshly at the cat following him. He cursed whatever it was that attracted the beasts to him as the last thing he needed was Peter catching him with a kitten.

Or worse, Diana. At least Peter would leave it alone during office hours. He really didn't want the nickname he had in prison, 'Catnip Caffrey,' to be revived. He was just lucky that prisoners liked cats and the chance to hold and pet the bold creatures who infiltrated the prison to see Neal.

The creature mewed and gave him a completely pathetic look.

Neal bit his lip. He couldn't. He was working.

It pattered over and rubbed its head along his shoe.

Neal's heart melted. He was only waiting for Peter to get the witness statements, it wasn't like he was doing anything important. He bent down and gave the cat a rub behind its ears.

There was the sound of a throat cleaning behind him. Neal jolted and jumped up, dislodging the cat from his lap. The cat gave a cry of alarm while Neal tried to calm his beating heart.

"Really, Mozzie?" he questioned, seeing the little guy standing nearby. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You should be thanking me," Mozzie responded, "imagine if the Suit saw you playing with kittens. Your image, ruined. I saved you."

Neal frowned as the cat walked off, head and tail hanging unhappily. Neal watched it go with a hurt heart.

* * *

Peter looked at the thing on his kitchen counter.

"Is that a cat?" he questioned. The offending black thing yawned at him and curled up into a ball, ignoring him.

This was why Peter liked dogs. They didn't ignore you. Even now, Satchmo was moving around, excited that he was home.

"Of course it is," El said, "you said you wanted Neal to agree to this, this is the plan."

"We're going to give him a cat?"

El gave him the 'you're cute when you're dense but don't push it' look with her hands on her hips and a little fond smirk on her face.

"No. The cat belongs to the neighbours, I offered to watch her for the night."

"Okay?" Peter said slowly. What did this have to do with Neal and getting him to agree to help Peter clean the basement? Because there was no way Peter was going to be able to do it all by himself.

"Just wait and see."

* * *

Peter owed El a million apologies. The moment Neal walked through the door, he and the cat were inseparable. It rubbed up against his ankles during dinner; Neal bending down to pet it from time to time. It jumped onto Neal's lap when they moved to the lounge and Neal scratched it behind the ears while it purred, completely content. And there was a soft smile on Neal's face that Peter hadn't seen before.

"...so I was thinking that it would be great if you could help me clean the basement," Peter said, feeling a little like an idiot and hoping that this, or the promise of El's cooking when they were done, was enough to get the always-spotless ex-conman to assist.

"Yeah, sure," Neal agreed instantly, "this Saturday good?"

Peter decided that maybe it was time to get a cat.


	34. OPSCR - Open Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Anon on AO3:  
>  _A fic where the twins try really hard to keep the secret of them being twins from everyone but don't know that they are failing epically (if you've seen Teen Wolf you know what I mean by this and their terrible secret keeping skills coughcough Danny) and everyone knows about them but they still pretend like its a secret to humor them? I don't know but it would be pretty amazing any way you do this :) :) Thankss soo much dear_
> 
> Notes: November is coming up, which means NaNoWriMo (google it if you don't know what it is). I will be participating and trying to write a 50,000 word novel in a single month. This, unfortunately, will mean slower updates for my fanfiction stories. I will still be updating just not as often because my writing time will be spent on my NaNo project.

**OPSCR - Open Secret**

* * *

 

"Bryce is in town," Jones announced, placing a photograph of two dark and wavy haired men sitting on June's balcony. They were both smiling and chatting away as if they didn't have a care in the world.

You'd never guess that one was a spy and the other was an ex-con working with the Feds.

"Oh, thanks," Peter said, breathing a sigh of relief. He had thought Neal had been acting suspicious lately and was ready to start questioning him on whatever it was he was planning. But, Bryce being in town just meant that Neal was being extra cautious to try and keep his brother away from the FBI.

Peter was going to have to question him anyway, so that Neal didn't catch on that they knew, but at least it wouldn't keep him up at night.

"You're going to mess with him, aren't you?" Jones questioned. Peter wondered if he was that obvious.

* * *

The knock at the door sent the people inside scrambling like cockroaches. It was obviously Bryce who opened the door, his hair was longer and parted to the side and not through the middle or sleeked back as Neal had his. The way he stood and the expression on his face were both wrong.

"What, no smile?" Diana questioned with a smirk. She had insisted on coming along.

Bryce tried but his smile wasn't the same as Neal's, it lacked the ease Neal held around them.

"Can I come in?" Peter asked.

"Uh..." Bryce glanced back into the apartment before adding, "no."

"Really?" Peter questioned, putting as much suspicion into his voice as he could. He cocked an eyebrow and moved like he was trying to see beyond Bryce and into the apartment.

"Oh, move over Boss," Diana said, pushing past Peter and shoving the door open. "Tell the little guy I don't want to see anymore poems, sonnets or anything like that. I don't care if they lead me to criminals on the run, stolen merchandise, or sunken treasure."

"Okay," Bryce nodded, looking a little overwhelmed. "I can tell him that."

"Good."

* * *

Diana smirked as they walked away.

"Really?" Peter questioned. Then he thought over what she said and asked, "does Mozzie really do that?"

"It's mostly harmless," Diana responded, "and I'm sure he'll play along when we explain it to him, he doesn't like Bryce very much."

Peter made an agreeing noise. "The little agent on Neal's shoulder. I can see why someone like Mozzie wouldn't like him."

* * *

Back at the apartment, Bryce shut the door and, for extra measure, locked it.

"I really doubt that would keep either of them out," Neal questioned with a smirk, emerging from his hiding place.

"It'll delay them long enough for me to get my gun," Bryce quipped back, unwilling to acknowledge just how terrifying Diana had seemed. He wondered how his brother managed to work with these people. Peter, with all his questions, Mozzie, with all his... eccentricities and now, Diana, just plain intimidating.

He was glad he didn't live in New York.

* * *

The FBI and the CIA liked to keep tabs on each other. So, when Peter Burke turned up in Burbank with his consultant Neal Caffrey in tow, Chuck was immediately notified.

"You know what sucks?" Morgan said, making conversation while Chuck checked his bank account in the employee break room. "We know his shoe size but haven't even met the man."

"Well, meeting him would be suspicious," Chuck responded, "and Bryce might find out."

"Why are we hiding that we know again?" Morgan sighed.

"Bryce wants the CIA to remain unaware of his twin brother's existence and the CIA doesn't want him to have reason to go rogue over someone who's already working for the Feds."

"It's a stupid to think Bryce could go rouge over something like that."

"True. But the CIA has asked worse of me, so I'm willing to play along. Besides, I'd tell him if his brother was in any danger from the CIA."

"But the CIA wouldn't tell you if he was in danger," Morgan pointed out. He gasped in excitement. "We could hack into the CIA and find out!"

"No," Chuck responded instantly.

Morgan went on as if he hadn't heard.

"And while we're at it, we could look into the moon landing. I bet a friend 50 bucks that it's real."

Chuck shook his head and ignored his friend's ranting. Apparently, Morgan was in a race to prove the moon landing.

* * *

Bryce ducked into the back storeroom.

"Hey, employees only!" Morgan barked.

"I work for your boss too," Bryce responded, "besides, I can't be seen out there."

Morgan grumbled something about how it wasn't the same, just because Chuck owned the Buy More and Carmichael Industries, did not mean working for one meant working for both.

It did for Morgan but he was just that awesome. He was awesome enough to give a manly squeak as he noticed just who Chuck was serving at the Nerd Herd counter.

"Look, I'll need your password at least to get into the system."

"Are you an FBI agent?" Morgan questioned, bounding up to Peter Burke as if it was Christmas and he was Santa Claus. He smiled excitedly.

"Uh, yes?" Peter responded, pointing to the badge around his waist. He had found that, in places like this, his badge helped things move smoother. Whether the employees were quick to get him out because Feds were bad for business or whether they actually respected his job, he didn't know. Nor did he care. Quick in and out was best for places like this.

"Do you have a gun?" Morgan asked.

"Doesn't that idiot see enough guns?" Casey questioned out loud and within Bryce's hearing.

Bryce sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Peter Burke being in town was bad for his health.

* * *

Neal was laying about on the hotel bed when Peter walked in.

"So, they manage to fix it?" he asked, referring to Peter's laptop which picked a terrible time to refuse to start.

"I'll have to go back tomorrow," Peter responded, only noticing the way Neal's body tensed because he was looking for it.

He wondered if he was being a little mean, letting Neal panic over keeping a secret he already knew, but he considered it a little payback for all the stress and worry Neal put him through on an almost daily basis. Right now, Neal was determined to spend all him time in the hotel in order to minimise any chance of being mistaken for Bryce.

It kind of served Neal right for underestimating Peter's ability to know everything about the criminals he chased (and caught).


	35. MZZB - Mozzie's Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From AiLE on AO3:  
>  _What do you think about a prompt where Mozzie raises the twins after he finds them on the street? It would be adorable and I would love to see Mozzie try to threaten Chuck or Peter on "taking care of his boys"_

**MZZB - Mozzie's Boys**

* * *

Bryce wasn't from Connecticut. It was just another lie. He was really from Detroit. Or at least, his first memories were of warehouses in Detroit.

He had been four or five when the man who had been known as 'The Dentist' had picked him and his brother off the streets. Neal, who had been all too trusting, had called the man 'Uncle Mozzie'.

It was a habit he grew out of. Bryce was thankful for it but he knew Mozzie didn't like it.

Mozzie raised them. He insisted on school, reading and learning everything they could. He was really impressed when Neal revealed forged bus passes in order to get to school on time. He came to parent-teacher conferences and was the 'cool uncle' in almost every sense of the word.

Neither Neal nor Bryce cared that he didn't share his blood. Moz was family.

* * *

Bryce and Mozzie grew apart when the CIA had recruited him. Neal had hid as the argument reached yelling proportions.

"YOU HAVE A FUTURE! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!"

"I CAN HELP PEOPLE!"

"IS THAT WHAT THEY TOLD YOU? WHAT ABOUT YOUR DREAMS?"

"YOU'RE JUST MAD BECAUSE YOU WANT ME TO BE A CRIMINAL!" Bryce knew that it wasn't true. But, he had been so angry that he said it and stormed out.

Bryce proceeded to lie, steal and frame his best friend for cheating. Chuck left and he was alone. For the first time in his life, he was alone.

A knock as his door, a visit from a man in a ridiculous blond wig and moustache and reassurance that while he didn't understand why Bryce chose this path, he would support him made Bryce feel so much better about it all.

"You protected your friend in the end," Mozzie said, sounding proud. "And now you'll protect as many people as you can."

* * *

Bryce was alive. It was a high-level government secret but Chuck didn't care.

"Hmm... hacking the CIA. I approve."

Chuck jolted at the voice, jumping up from the couch and clutching his laptop to his chest.

"Who are you?" he demanded to know. The little bald man didn't look like a threat but, he sort of reminded Chuck of a FULCRUM scientist.

"I'm Bryce's uncle."

"Bryce doesn't have an uncle."

"We're not related by blood," Mozzie explained with a shrug. Somehow, this didn't lighten Chuck's suspicion. Also, Casey should have been charging in here by now. "If you're wondering where your NSA guard dog is, I requested that Sarah keep him busy. She owes me a favour, you see?"

"Not really," Chuck responded. He did relax a little as Sarah wouldn't have let this guy near him if he presented a danger. "So, why are you here?"

"I came to speak to you." The man placed a card on his dining room table before taking a seat there. Chuck shuffled around the couch and took a seat across from him.

The card only had a number on it.

"What is this?"

"Bryce's contact number. The only one which will work. Completely secure."

"How did you arrange this?"

The man smiled mysteriously.

"You will be able to call him whenever you need. However, in return for this number," he continued, "you will take care of Bryce. Do  **not**  let him end up shot and dying again. If Bryce's brother gets another 'died in the line of duty' message and spy will sent to him, I will know. And I will destroy everything and everyone connected to his death."

That sounded crazy. But, Chuck looked at this man and knew he was serious.

The first question he asked Bryce when he called was;

"Who was the guy who gave me this number?"

"Oh, him?" Bryce laughed and Chuck's heart leapt at the sound. He had thought his friend dead and hearing him again was magical. "He's Mozzie."

"He threatened me." Chuck could hear the baffled tone in his voice. It had felt odd to be threatened into protecting Bryce when Bryce was normally protecting him.

"Yeah. He does that. Moz is like my dad. Taught me everything I know."

"He said you have a brother?"

"Huh. Not like Moz to let something like that slip."

"That's not an answer."

"I know."

* * *

When Neal made the deal with the FBI, Mozzie wondered where he went wrong. Somehow, he ended up with two children in law enforcement. A suit and a spy.

* * *

Peter was not surprised when he had an intruder on his weekend run.

"What do you want, Mozzie?" he asked. Neal's quirky little friend sat down and took his glasses off.

"It's simple, Suit. I've already given this warning to one before and I never thought I would have to do it again." He sighed. "Neal's mine. Whether he calls me 'uncle' or not, he's mine. My family. And I will protect him with everything I am. You better take care of him.

"Our little makeshift family can't handle any more losses at the hands of faceless G-men."

"Wow. I'm going to tell Casey you think he's faceless," a humoured voice piped up from behind them. Peter jumped up and stared at the man in a sweatshirt and slacks, his fringe damp with sweat and a smile on his face.

"Neal?" Peter questioned. But, they were outside of Neal's radius!

"No. Bryce," Mozzie corrected him, standing up slowly and facing the younger of his twins. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are," Bryce responded. His smile dropped and he glared at Peter. "Nice to meet you, Agent Burke. I have only one thing to say; do not screw with Neal. Keep to the deal and keep him safe or you may just have to deal with me." Bryce smiled. "And I think I have enough clout to have most of your agents reassigned. Bancroft owes a friend of mine a favour and I'm sure he'd be okay using it to keep my brother safe."

Peter's mouth dropped open. Suddenly, he was very, very glad that Neal was a conman. A nice conman. A nice conman who didn't like guns or threatening people.

Because Bryce's face went dark. It was an expression of someone who had lost things, of an agent who spent too long undercover and away from his family.

Peter swore to himself that he wouldn't let Neal make the same expression ever.

"Okay," he said, "I will look after Neal. I agreed to the deal, didn't I?"

"After putting him in prison," Mozzie pointed out.

Peter looked to Bryce, who had disappeared when he looked at Mozzie.

"Neal can't do that, can he?" he asked Mozzie.

Mozzie's smile didn't put Peter at ease.

Peter also swore that he wouldn't take his eyes off Neal during the times he would be off anklet.

* * *

Peter didn't know, but he would end up breaking both of those swears. But, he stayed by Neal's side and did his best to keep Neal whole and healthy. It was more than Mozzie expected.


	36. HF2 – Chuck's New York Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: So, this is the last chapter of Trackers vs Guns. I let this one go a bit longer than previous collections but I think it's time to mark it as complete. It'll probably be over a week before the next story in the collection is posted. It'll be something vs something (how does Computers vs Cons sound?).
> 
> From Chocolate and caramel:  
>  _You should make more of that, Chuck and Moz hanging out while lamenting about their best friends._

 

**HF2 – Chuck's New York Holiday**

* * *

 

Piranha: Hey, coming to NY, know anywhere I could stay?

VitaPedrillo: Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday?

Piranha: ...

VitaPedrillo: How about N's instead? His landlady is a marvellous woman.

VitaPedrillo: I could introduce you.

Piranha: Sounds like a plan.

* * *

Chuck smiled at June and took another sip of the heavenly tea. Mozzie had been right, June was marvellous. The older and graceful woman was full of stories which sounded like cops and robbers in some places but were exciting and romantic. She spent most of the time talking about her departed husband and Chuck could just feel the love she still had for him.

"Byron must have been an amazing man," Chuck commented.

"Byron was a genius!" Mozzie added.

June smiled at them both, thanked them and then left to get them something to eat.

"I can't believe Neal lives here," Chuck said, looking around. "Bryce would be jealous."

"Huh. I always got the impression that Bryce slept in pods with the rest of the government men." Chuck raised his eyebrows and Mozzie amended. "I'm sure he can sleep anywhere."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy the finer things in life."

"Ah, the finer things in life," Mozzie toasted. "And how is my second tolerated G-man?"

"Second?"

"Technically, you became a G-man after the Suit. So you are second."

Chuck nodded his understanding. Then paused.

"Where does Bryce come in?"

"He doesn't. He's not tolerated." Chuck's face fell in sympathy for Bryce and Mozzie sighed. "He's Neal's twin. Tolerated or not, I still have to deal with him."

"Bryce has been shot, twice. Both times I thought he was dead. Both times he survived, barely. He's protected me and guided me and is the best spy I know."

Mozzie raised an eyebrow.

"That's great and all but, Neal gets caught up with the FBI's mobsters and criminals. Worst of all, he pulls me in! He's pulled crazy stunts like jumping across cable cars, facing down men with guns, and let's not forget the time he broke into a Charity which was a scam and got himself drugged. The Suit had to rescue him and who knows what he told him." Mozzie held his head in his hands and added, "he's my friend and I am loyal to him."

Chuck nodded in agreement.

"So, he gives you heart attacks?" Chuck questioned.

"Almost daily."

"Every mission."

They toasted their teas and took a sip. That's when Chuck got a stupid but fun idea.

* * *

Peter rose quickly when the litany of noise reached his office. He came outside to see the same image on the computer screens and the same annoying music playing from every computers' speakers.

"What is that?" he questioned.

"Sounds like the opening theme to something," Neal mused from his side. He had a curious frown on his face.

Jones coughed with a huge smile twitching behind his hand.

"It's a... uh, Mario theme, Peter. You know the jumping plumber?"

"I know." Peter frowned and glared at Neal. He had been the one to say his old moustache had been like Mario.

Neal held up his hands.

"I have nothing to do with this."

"Boss, it's the Piranha," Diana announced from the bottom of the stairs.

"The Piranha?" Jones' voice almost sounded awed.

"You sure?" Peter wanted to know.

Diana nodded and said they had confirmed it, the image was one of Piranha's.

"What does the Piranha want with the FBI?" Neal questioned, intrigued.

"You sure you have nothing to do with this?" Peter asked him again.

"I don't even know the Piranha, I only know he was one of the best hackers out there until he vanished, whoa, almost a decade ago. That's a long time to be out to the game."

"An odd time to get back into the game too," Peter mused. "Do we need to pursue this or is Cyber Crime taking over?"

"Neither," Diana said. "The Piranha didn't take anything, he only left detailed information for how he got in. They'll be able to patch the holes so they're not going to pursue this unless we get a bill in the mail."

Peter cursed.

"I'm feeling that," Jones sighed in agreement. "This feels like some kind of prank."

"Then, let's never speak of this again."

Jones, Diana and Neal all shared looks. There was no way they weren't going to tell at least El about this. After all, the image the Piranha had stamped his infamous logo onto was one of Peter with the 'stashe.

* * *

The first thing Chuck did once he was off the plane was stretch. The second was hug his wife. The third was see Bryce.

His officially-deceased friend was working down in Castle, waiting for some heat to die off before catching a flight to DC.

"How was New York?"

Chuck smiled and thought about hanging out with Mozzie. They complained about the dangerous situations their friends got them into, Mozzie told him about the time he got shot. Mozzie took him to a great oyster bar and introduced him to someone called 'Mrs Suit', who reminded him a little of his sister but who was more accepting of people's chosen paths. She was the wife of the Suit and hung out with a criminal, an information broker who did illegal things and a CIA agent, not that she knew that last one. Definitely one of the most accepting people he had met.

He would have liked to tell Bryce about hacking the FBI, flashing on a criminal friend of Mozzie's (who was on Mozzie's list anyway so Moz had no trouble handing him over to police once Chuck took him out), and meeting June but he didn't. What he did with Moz, stayed with Moz.

"I brought you a postcard," he said instead, waving the thing Mozzie picked up on a whim in order for him to have a chat with the woman behind the counter (they needed some information from her on the previously mentioned criminal's purchases).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> I have arranged a bit of action backstory for Chuck's trip to New York. Basically I thought it up while writing the last paragraph and I'll write it here because it's not going to be a full story unless someone else writes it:
> 
> So, Mozzie introduced Chuck to the better people in NY and he flashed. One of them had the CIA looking for them and were up to something fowl in New York. Mozzie decided to assist because he owed this guy a bad turn for something he did in the past.
> 
> They tracked him down and found out he had a bomb and was going to hide it in something. The tracked him from his place to a store where he purchased something. Mozzie coached Chuck in conning the lady behind the counter into revealing what the guy bought.
> 
> It was a gaudy bag. They tracked the guy down, figure out his target, took him out and located the gaudy bag to take out the bomb.
> 
> And that's Chuck's holiday in New York.


End file.
